Gentiana delavayi Franch.

Annuals 3-12(-20) cm tall, densely purple papillate. Stems purple, erect, branched. Basal leaves usually withered at anthesis; petiole 3-5 mm; leaf blade narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, 1-1.5 cm × 4-6 mm, apex obtuse, veins 3. Stem leaves with petiole 5-10 mm; leaf blade narrowly elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 2-5 cm × 5-7 mm, larger toward stem apex, apex obtuse; veins 3-5, prominent. Inflorescences terminal clusters. Flowers sessile or subsessile, 5merous. Calyx tube tinged purple, narrowly obconic, 8-10 mm; lobes oblanceolate, 8-11 mm, slightly unequal, margin densely ciliolate, apex obtuse, midvein prominent. Corolla dark blue to violet, with inconspicuous blackish streaks, funnelform, (1.5-)2.8-4 cm; lobes ovate-triangular, 5-6 mm, margin entire, apex acute; plicae ovate to subtruncate, 1.5-2.5 mm, margin denticulate, apex obtuse. Stamens inserted at middle of corolla tube, sometimes unequal; filaments 1.2-1.8 cm; anthers linear, 3-4 mm. Style filiform, 8-10 mm; stigma lobes triangular. Capsules narrowly ellipsoid to ovoid-ellipsoid, 1.5-1.8 cm; gynophore to 1.8 cm. Seeds brown, ellipsoid, 0.5-0.7 mm. Fl. and fr. Sep-Dec.

SW Sichuan, NE and NW Yunnan.

* Grassland slopes, roadsides, scrub; 1400-3900 m.