琴叶马蓝 qin ye ma lan

Diflugossa muliensis H. P. Tsui; Pteracanthus nemorosus (Benoist) C. Y. Wu & C. C. Hu; P. panduratus (Handel-Mazzetti) C. Y. Wu & C. C. Hu; Strobilanthes pandurata Handel-Mazzetti.

Herbs to 60 cm tall, much branched, isophyllous. Stems 4-angled, sulcate, pubescent, basally woody. Leaves sessile or with petiole to 1.5 cm; leaf blade lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, occasionally basally pandurate, 5-15(-20) × 1.5-6 cm, both surfaces sparsely pilose but glabrescent, adaxially dark green and densely covered with cystoliths, secondary veins 6-12 on each side of midvein, base rounded to attenuate, margin remotely serrate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, spikes, usually several spikes forming a panicle; rachis densely pilose, with gland-tipped trichomes; basal bracts leaflike, ovate-lanceolate, to 6 × 2 cm; apical bracts linear to narrowly oblong-elliptic, 7-12 × 1-3 mm, persistent, pilose with gland-tipped trichomes; bracteoles linear, ca. 5 × 1 mm, pilose with gland-tipped trichomes. Calyx 1-1.5 cm, pilose with gland-tipped trichomes, 5-lobed almost to base; lobes linear with one longer than others, apex obtuse. Corolla blue, 3-3.7 cm, ventricose, outside sparsely pubescent, inside glabrous except for trichomes retaining style; tube basally cylindric and ca. 2 mm wide for ca. 5 mm then gradually widened to ca. 1 cm at mouth; lobes oblong, ca. 5 × 4 mm, apex rounded. Stamens 4, included; shorter filament pair ca. 4 mm; longer filament pair ca. 6 mm, base pilose; anther thecae oblong, ca. 2.5 mm; pollen type 3. Ovary comose; style 2.8-3.2 cm, glabrous. Capsule clavate, ca. 1.6 cm, apically gland-tipped pilose, 4-seeded. Seeds ovate in outline, ca. 2.5 × 2 mm, densely appressed pubescent. Fl. Aug.

● Pinus-Quercus forests, thickets; 1900-3400 m. Sichuan, Yunnan.

Strobilanthes nemorosa is similar to S. lachenensis, differing in little more than leaf shape. It may not be a distinct species.