Cyanotis arachnoidea C. B. Clarke

The roots are used as medicine for stimulating blood circulation, as a muscle and joint relaxant, and for relieving rheumatoid arthritis.

Herbs perennial; roots fibrous. Main stem undeveloped, short; fertile stems arising from beneath leaf rosette, diffuse, creeping, 20--80 cm. Leaves in a basal rosette and cauline; rosulate leaf blade linear, 8--35 × 0.5--1.5 cm; cauline leaf blade on fertile stems much shorter, to 7 cm, abaxially rather densely arachnoid. Cincinni often several, forming both terminal and axillary heads, sessile or on peduncle to 4 cm; bracts 7--8 mm. Sepals connate at base, linear-lanceolate, ca. 5 mm, abaxially arachnoid. Petals blue-purple, blue, or white, ca. 6 mm. Filaments blue arachnoid. Capsule broadly oblong, trigonous, ca. 2.5 mm, densely hirsutulous at apex. Seeds gray-brown, pitted. Fl. Jun--Sep, fr. Oct.

Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, SW Guizhou, Hainan (Baoting Xian, Chengmai Xian), SW Jiangxi (Longnan Xian), Taiwan, C and S Yunnan [India, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam].

By streams, humid ravines and rocks; near sea level to 2700 m.

Cyanotis bodinieri H. Léveillé & Vaniot; C. labordei H. Léveillé & Vaniot.