Gentiana bryoides Burkill

Annuals 2-5 cm tall. Stems ascending to erect, 2 to few branched from base, sparsely papillate. Basal leaves withered at anthesis; petiole 1-1.5 mm, margin ciliolate or sometimes papillate; leaf blade ovate to ovate-orbicular, 5-7 × 3-4.5 mm, base narrowed, margin thick cartilaginous and smooth or ciliolate, apex acute to obtuse and mucronate, veins 1-3, distinct, and slender. Stem leaves crowded to spreading; petiole tube 0.5-1 mm, margin ciliolate, abaxially glabrous or sometimes papillate; leaf blade obovate, 3-4.5 × 1-1.5 mm, shorter to longer than internodes, base narrowed, margin thick cartilaginous and smooth or ciliolate, apex rounded and mucronate, midvein distinct. Flowers subsessile or on pedi-cels to 1.2 cm, sparsely papillate. Calyx obconic, 5-6 mm; lobes recurved to rarely erect, ovate to ovate-orbicular, 1.5-2 mm, base slightly narrowed, margin cartilaginous and smooth or sparsely ciliolate, apex acute to rounded and cuspidate, midvein prominent. Corolla pale blue, with short dark blue lines in throat, tubular to narrowly obconic, 9-10 mm; lobes ovate, 2-2.5 mm, margin entire, apex obtuse and mucronate; plicae broadly ovate, 1-1.3 mm, margin entire or crenulate, apex obtuse. Stamens inserted just below middle of corolla tube, equal; filaments 2.5-3 mm, linear-subulate; anthers narrowly ellipsoid, 0.8-1 mm. Style 1.2-1.5 mm; stigma lobes narrowly oblong. Capsules narrowly obovoid, 3-5 mm; gynophore 1.5-1.8 cm, slender. Seeds brown, ovoid, 0.8-1 mm. Fl. and fr. May-Jun.

Himalaya (Nepal to Bhutan), S.E. Tibet.

S and SE Xizang [Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim].

3000-4300 m

Alpine meadows, forests; 3800-4500 m.

Gentiana stylosa Biswas.