Mertensia dshagastanica Regel

Herbs perennial, 5-15 cm tall. Rhizomes short, thick, with black scales. Stems very slender, glabrate or appressed strigose. Petiole of basal leaves 3-12 cm; leaf blade green, cordate-ovate or subreniform, 2-4 cm, abaxially glabrous, adaxially strigose, apex acute or obtuse; stem leaves 4, lower 2 subopposite, upper 2 alternate, all sessile, ovate or oblong, small, apex acute. Inflorescences widely spaced, drooping to 1 side, 2-10-flowered, ebracteate. Pedicel threadlike, 5-12 mm, sparsely appressed bristly. Calyx parted to base, 3.5-4 mm; lobes linear, strigose, apex acute. Corolla sky blue, 1.3-1.5 cm; tube ca. 2 × as long as calyx and limb; appendages oblong, tall, apex rounded; limb narrow campanulate; lobes of limb ovate, 2-3 mm, apex obtuse. Filaments ca. 1/2 as long as linear-oblong anthers. Style exserted. Nectary 4-lobed, well developed. Nutlets ovate-conical, ca. 3 mm, hirsute, abaxially narrowly winged. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Jul-Aug.

W Xinjiang (Yili River basin, Pamirs, Altay Shan) [Kazakhstan, Tajikistan].

On rocks; 2000-2200 m.

Mertensianthe dshagastanica (Regel) Popov.