Chionese: Yi xian cao.
Region: China, Yunnan, Bhutan, NE India.
Habitat: forests, thickets, mountain slopes, along trails; 1200–3200 m.
BotanyPerennial herb; 15–40 cm tall.
Stem: prostrate at base, often much branched, pubescent, basally woody.
Leaves: scattered, more and larger basally; petiole 0.2–1 cm, longer basally on stem, short to almost absent apically on stem; elliptic to ovate, 0.9–4.5 × 0.5–2.5 cm; pilose, abaxially more dense; base broadly cuneate, margin entire, apex acute and mucronate; stipules 4–7 × ca. 1 mm, close with base on one side, auriculate, glabrous.
Inflorescence: spikelike raceme, 4–11 cm; peduncle densely pubescent; bracts ca. 2 × 0.5 mm.
Flowers: ca. 1.2 cm in diameter; pedicel 2 mm, densely pubescent; blooming June to September.
Calyx: sepals 5, lanceolate, ca. 6 × 1 mm, glaucous, persistent; outer 3 sepals with spreading gland-tipped bristles.
Corolla: petals 5, white to whitish mauve; claws 1.2–2 cm.
Stamens: Filaments basally connate. into a ca. 5 mm tube; staminodes filiform.
Ovary glabrous; style ± as long as sepals.
Fruit: capsule oblong, ca. 3 mm, membranous.