Physochlaina praealta (Decne.) Miers

A plant of high dry stony areas from 2590-4800 m.

Herb 1 m or more tall, branched, pubescent. Leaf lamina 7-11 x 5-9.5 cm, ovate, ovate-oblong, pubescent, midrib prominent on under surface. Petiole c. lamina length or shorter. Corymbs lax, pubescent. Pedicels 8-20 mm long, up to 35 mm in fruit, Calyx 9-11 mm long, tubular-campanulate, glandular-pubescent, up to 27 mm in fruit, ± chartaceous and nervose; lobes 3.5-5 mm long, triangualr, ovate. Corolla 20-30 mm long, infundibuliform, yellow, lobes obtuse-wavy, with greenish-brown veins. Stamens exserted; anthers 3 mm long, oblong, filaments slender, lower 1/3rd pubescent. Style exceeding stamens in length, slender, glabrous. Capsule broadly tubular, 7-9.5 mm long. Seeds 2.5-3 mm long, reniform, rugose-tuberculate, brownish-yellow.

Plants 30-50 cm tall. Roots terete, ca. 2 cm in diam. Stems much branched, glandular pubescent. Petiole 1-6 cm; leaf blade ovate, ovate-elliptic, ovate-deltate, or deltate, 4-13 × 3-8 cm, sparsely glandular pubescent, base cuneate, cordate, or sometimes truncate, margin entire and sinuate, apex obtuse or somewhat acute. Inflorescences few flowered, paniculate; bracts leaflike, 0.5-1.5 cm. Pedicel 1-1.5 cm. Calyx short campanulate or tubular-urceolate, glandular pubescent, ca. 6 × 5 mm; lobes deltate, ca. 2 mm. Corolla yellow with purple veins, campanulate or tubular-campanulate, ca. 2-3 cm. Stamens somewhat unequal, exserted; anthers ca. 2 mm. Style exserted. Fruiting calyx thick, tubular to campanulate or urceolate, 2.5-3.5 cm, slightly inflated near base, contracted and tubular upwards, teeth erect, slightly spreading, subequal, ca. 3.5-6 mm. Capsules oblong, 1.2-1.5 cm. Seeds subreniform, somewhat compressed, ca. 3.5 × 2.5 mm. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Jul-Aug.

Himalaya (Gilgit to Nepal), S. Tibet.

Distribution: Karakorams, S. Tibet, China (Kashgar and Yarkand).

W and S Xizang [India, Pakistan].

3500-4600 m

Fl. Per.: June-July.

Slopes; 4200-4500 m.

Belenia praealta Decaisne in Jacquemont, Voy. Inde 4: 114. 1844; Hyoscyamus praealtus (Decaisne) Walpers; Physochlaina grandiflora Hooker; P. urceolata Kuang & A. M. Lu; Scopolia praealta (Decaisne) Dunal.