Tripterospermum discoideum (C. Marquand) Harry Smith

Stems terete, 1-3 mm in diam. Petiole 3-10 mm; leaf blade lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 3-10 × 1.5-5.5 cm, membranous, base rounded to subcordate, margin entire and sometimes slightly revolute, apex ± short acuminate to acuminate-caudate, veins 3-5. Inflorescences 1-5-flowered cymes; bracts 1-5 pairs, lanceolate to triangular, 2-6(-10) mm. Pedicel 3-10 mm. Calyx campanulate; tube 1-1.4 cm, wingless or narrowly winged; lobes linear-subulate to linear-lanceolate, 2-4 mm. Corolla pale blue, blue, blue-purple, or purple, narrowly campanulate to campanulate, 3-5 cm; lobes ovate-triangular, 6-9 mm, apex acuminate; plicae semiorbicular, 1.5-3 mm, margin entire or crenate. Filaments linear to linear-subulate, 1.3-2.2 cm; anthers ellipsoid to ovoid, ca. 1.5 mm. Disc 1-5 mm. Style 8-11 mm. Capsules ellipsoid, 2-2.5 cm × 7-8 mm, partially exserted from persistent corolla; gynophore 1-1.5 cm. Seeds light brown, orbicular, compressed, 2-2.5 × 0.7-0.8 mm; wings discoid. Fl. and fr. Aug-Dec.

W Hubei, S Shaanxi, E Sichuan.

* Grassland slopes; 600-2000 m.

Gentiana discoidea C. Marquand, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1931: 72. 1931; G. caudata C. Marquand.