四列马蓝 si lie ma lan

Ruellia quadrifaria Wallich ex Nees in Wallich, Pl. Asiat. Rar. 3: 83. 1832; Hemigraphis quadrifaria (Wallich ex Nees) T. Anderson; Sericocalyx quadrifarius (Wallich ex Nees) Bremekamp.

Subshrubs (0.2-)1-1.5 m tall, isophyllous. Stems hirsute with large-celled trichomes. Petiole (0.3-)1.5-4 cm, hirsute; leaf blade elliptic to ovate, 5-18 × 2-7 cm, both surfaces scabrous and rather sparsely pilose with large pustulose white trichomes especially on veins, adaxially darker and with cystoliths, base attenuate, margin crenate-dentate, apex acute. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, subcapitate to shortly spicate, 2-5 × ca. 2 cm, very compact, densely covered with long silky white large-celled trichomes; peduncle 0.5-1.5 cm, hirsute; bracts ovate, elliptic, or broadly lanceolate, 1.5-2.5 × 0.6-1 cm, pilose with white large-celled trichomes, apically obtuse to acute; bracteoles linear-lanceolate, ca. 10 × 2 mm, pilose with white large-celled trichomes. Calyx 8-11 mm, outside pilose, inside sericeous toward apex, subequally 5-lobed; lobes linear, apex acuminate. Corolla pale purple with a whitish tube, 3-3.2 cm, straight, subglabrous except for pubescent lobes; tube basally cylindric and narrow for 8-10 mm then gradually widened to 8-9 mm at mouth; lobes ovate, ca. 4 × 4 mm, apex rounded. Stamens 4, included; shorter filament pair 2-3 mm, glabrous; longer filament pair 4-7 mm, pilose; anther thecae oblong, ca. 2 × 0.8 mm; pollen type 6. Ovary oblong, comose; style 2-2.2 cm, pilose. Capsule oblong, 1-1.2 cm, sparsely pubescent near apex, 12-seeded. Seeds ca. 1 mm in diam., pubescent. Fl. Oct-Jan.

Moist shaded places in forests; 500-900 m. Yunnan [Laos, Myanmar, Thailand].