Buchnera cruciata Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don

All parts of the plant are used medicinally.

Herbs, 8-50 cm tall, with curved hairs. Stems simple or apically somewhat branched. Basal leaves rosulate; petiole inconspicuous; leaf blade obovate, 2-2.5 X 1-1.5 cm, base tapering. Stem leaves sessile, linear to linear-oblong, 1.5-4.5 cm X 3-5(-12) mm, margin often with 2 to few obtuse teeth. Spikes terminal, cylindric to subquadrangular, 1-4.5 cm, to 6.5 cm in fruit; bracts ovate, ca. 4.8 X 2.5 mm, outside and margin densely villous, apex acuminate. Bracteoles linear, 2-3 mm, villous. Calyx 4-4.5 mm, slightly curved; tube outside villous; lobes triangular, subequal, villous, apex acuminate. Corolla blue-purple, narrowly tubular, somewhat curved, 6-7 mm, somewhat ribbed, villous on portion exserted from calyx; throat constricted; lobes obovate to oblanceolate, 1.5-2 X ca. 1 mm. Anthers ca. 1 mm. Ovary ovoid, 2-2.5 mm. Capsule oblong, ca. 5 mm. Seeds spirally striate. Fl. and fr. Apr-Jan.

Nepal, India, N. Burma, W. & C. China.

Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Yunnan. [Cambodia, N India, Indonesia (Sumatra), Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam].

Mountain slopes, sparse forests; below 1600 m.

Buchnera densiflora Hooker & Arnott; B. stricta Bentham.