Ceratostigma minus Stapf ex Prain

Shrubs, deciduous, 30--150 cm tall. Stems many-branched; branches without ringlike scars, pith reduced; branchlets densely strigose; hairs white or pale lemon yellow, abruptly attenuate from ellipsoid base, sometimes less than 1 mm, occasionally mixed with 3--6-rayed stellate hairs. Bud scales scalelike. Leaf blade obovate, spatulate, or subrhombic, 2--3 X (0.6--)0.8--1.6 cm, base attenuate, apex obtuse, rounded, or rarely acute or mucronate; abaxially densely strigose, rarely only strigose along midrib; adaxially glabrous or sparsely strigose, sometimes strigose-hirsute. Inflorescences terminal and (5--)7--13(--16)-flowered or axillary and 1--9-flowered; bracts oblong-ovate, 4--5 X ca. 2.5 mm, apex acute; bractlets ovate to oblong-ovate, 4.5--5 X 1.5--2 mm, apex acuminate. Calyx 6.5--9 X ca. 1.5 mm; lobes ca. 1.5 mm, with slender appressed hairs along ribs of exposed part or rarely mixed with stellate hairs. Corolla 1.5--1.7(--1.9) cm, tube purple; lobes blue, obdeltate, 6--7 X 4--5 mm, apex emarginate and filiformly mucronate. Anthers blue to purple, 1.4--1.6(--2) mm. Ovary green, ovoid. Style branches exserted. Capsules ovoid, (2--)6.5 mm. Fl. Jun-Oct, fr. Jun-Nov.

S Gansu, W Sichuan, E and S Xizang, N Yunnan

* Valleys; 1000--4800 m.

Flowering from June to October; fruiting from June to November.

Ceratostigma minus is close relative of Ceratostigma griffithii, but differs from the latter in its plants deciduous (vs. evergreen), leaves glabrous or sparsely strigose (vs. densely strigose), if densely strigose then hairs on young shoots grayish white or pale yellow (vs. red-brown to dark yellow-brown).

Ceratostigma minus is occurring S Gansu, W Sichuan, E and S Xizang, N Yunnan of China.

Shrubs, deciduous, 30-150 cm tall. Stems many-branched; branches without ringlike scars, pith reduced; branchlets densely strigose; hairs white or pale lemon yellow, abruptly attenuate from ellipsoid base, sometimes less than 1 mm, occasionally mixed with 3-6-rayed stellate hairs. Bud scales scalelike. Leaf blade obovate, spatulate, or subrhombic, 2-3 cm long, 0.8-1.6 cm wide, base attenuate, apex obtuse, rounded, or rarely acute or mucronate; abaxially densely strigose, rarely only strigose along midrib; adaxially glabrous or sparsely strigose, sometimes strigose-hirsute. Inflorescences terminal and 7-13-flowered or axillary and 1-9-flowered; bracts oblong-ovate, 4-5 mm long, ca. 2.5 mm wide, apex acute; bractlets ovate to oblong-ovate, 4.5-5 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, apex acuminate. Calyx 6.5-9 mm long, ca. 1.5 mm wide; lobes ca. 1.5 mm, with slender appressed hairs along ribs of exposed part or rarely mixed with stellate hairs. Corolla 1.5-1.7 cm, tube purple; lobes blue, obdeltate, 6-7 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, apex emarginate and filiformly mucronate. Anthers blue to purple, 1.4-1.6 mm. Ovary green, ovoid. Style branches exserted. Capsules ovoid, 6.5 mm.

Growing in valleys; 1000-4800 m.