Pedicularis stenotheca Tsoong

Herbs perennial, to 20 cm tall, drying slightly black. Roots ± woody. Stems 1 to several, with 4 lines of hairs. Leaves in whorls of 4. Basal leaf petiole ca. 2.5 cm, white villous. Stem leaves in 2 or 3 whorls; petiole 0.5--1.5 cm; leaf blade oblong-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 1.8--2.2 cm X 8--10 mm, abaxially densely white scurfy and white pilose along veins, adaxially hoary along midvein, pinnatipartite to pinnatisect; segments 3--9 pairs, ovate to linear-lanceolate, pinnatifid or incised-double dentate. Inflorescences ± capitate, 1--2 cm, white pilose; bracts leaflike, proximal longer than flowers, distal shorter than flowers. Calyx ca. 5 mm, barely cleft anteriorly; lobes 5, unequal, posterior one smaller than lateral lobes, triangular and entire, lateral lobes ovate, serrate. Corolla 1.1--1.2 cm; tube slightly decurved basally, slightly expanded apically; galea barely 3 mm, only ca. 1/2 as long as lower lip, rounded in front, truncate at apex, not toothed; lower lip ca. 6 X 8 mm, lobes retuse and erose, middle lobe rounded, ca. 1/2 as large as lateral pair. 2 filaments pubescent, 2 glabrous. Capsule narrowly triangular-lanceolate, ca. 1.5 cm, apiculate. Fl. and fr. Jun--Jul.

C and E Xizang.

* Grassy banks in coniferous forests; ca. 3900 m.