Flowering from June to July; fruiting from July to August.
Galearis wardii is close relative of Galearis cyclochila, but differs from the latter in its plants 2-leaved (vs. 1-leaved), leaf elliptic to oblong-lanceolate (vs. broadly elliptic, ovate, or suborbicular), base gradually attenuate (vs. abruptly contracted), rachis 5-10-more-flowered (vs. 1-2-flowered).
Galearis wardii is occurring in W Sichuan, E Xizang, NW Yunnan of China.
Plants 15-30 cm tall. Rhizome stout, fleshy. Stem stout, with 2-3 tubular sheaths at base, 2-leaved. Leaves green, elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, 8-15 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, thickly textured, base gradually attenuate into a conduplicate sheath, apex obtuse-rounded or mucronate. Inflorescence, stout; rachis up to 3 cm long, 5-10-more-flowered; floral bracts lanceolate, basal ones much longer than flowers, apex acuminate. Flowers spreading, whitish pink to purple, spotted with dark purple, relatively large; ovary cylindric, 10-15 mm long including pedicel. Sepals pinkish purple, inner surfaces spotted with purple, subequal in length, 3-veined; dorsal sepal erect, narrowly ovate-lanceolate, apex obtuse; lateral sepals spreading horizontally or reflexed, falcate to narrowly ovate-lanceolate, apex slightly obtuse. Petals erect, forming a hood with dorsal sepal, pinkish purple spotted with deep purple, ovate-lanceolate 3-veined; lip simple, spreading, pinkish purple spotted with deep purple to purplish black, broadly ovate to suborbicular, base contracted, spurred, margin strongly erose and wrinkled, apex obtuse-rounded; spur pendulous, cylindric, slightly curved forward, almost as long as ovary, slender, apex obtuse.
Growing in open forests, alpine meadows; 2300-4300 m.
