Halenia elliptica D. Don

Flowering and fruiting from July to September.

Halenia elliptica is close relative of Halenia corniculata, but differs from the latter in its blue to purple (vs. yellow) corolla, elliptic to ovate (vs. linear-lanceolate) calyx lobes.

Halenia elliptica is occurring in Gansu, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Qinghai, Shanxi, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan of China, Bhutan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim.

Phylogenetic relationships of Halenia was reconstructed using nuclear ITS and chloroplast rpl16 intron sequence data (von Hagen and Kadereit, 2003). Results show that Halenia originated in East Asia and migrated via North America into Central America. From there, it colonized South America three times independently, probably within the last million years.

Plants 15-90 cm tall. Stems erect, subquadrangular, striate, simple or branched from base and/or above base. Basal leaves petiole flattened, 1-1.5 cm; leaf blade spatulate, elliptic, or sometimes suborbicular, 2-3 cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm wide, base narrowed to cuneate, apex acute to rounded, veins 3-5. Stem leaves sessile or short petiolate; leaf blade oblong, elliptic, ovate-lanceolate, or ovate, 1.5-7 cm long, 0.5-3.5 cm wide, base rounded to truncate, apex acute to rounded, veins 5. Pedicel 0.5-3.5 cm. Calyx lobes elliptic to ovate, apex acuminate, lobes 4-6 mm long, 2-3 mm wide. Corolla blue to purple, campanulate, 1-1.5 cm in diameter, basal spurs 5-10 mm; lobes elliptic to ovate, apex obtuse and apicu-late, lobes ca. 6 mm long, 4-5 mm wide. Filaments 3-5 mm; anthers ovoid, ca. 1 mm. Seeds light brown, ca. 2 × 1 mm.

The chromosomal number of Halenia elliptica is 2n = 22 (Yuan and Küpfer, 1993).

Growing in beside streams in valleys, grassland slopes, scrub, forest margins, forests; 700-4100 m.