Galearis spathulata (Lindl.) P. F. Hunt

Himalaya (Garhwal to Bhutan), Tibet.

3300-5000 m

Flowering from July to August; fruiting from July to September.

Galearis spathulata is occurring in SE Gansu, NE Qinghai, Shaanxi, W Sichuan, E and S Xizang, NW Yunnan of China, Bhutan, India, Nepal.

Plants 8-15 cm tall. Rhizome slender. Stem with 1-2 tubular, somewhat membranous sheaths at base, 2-3-leaved. Leaves subopposite, narrowly spatulate-oblanceolate, narrowly spatulate, or elliptic, 2.3-9 cm long, 0.5-3 cm wide, base gradually attenuate into a long conduplicate sheath, apex obtuse-rounded to acute. Inflorescence 4-10 cm, slender to slightly fleshy; rachis to 2 cm, with 1-5 often secund flowers; floral bracts spreading, suboblong to narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, apex obtuse or acute, basal one often equal to or longer than flower. Flowers spreading, purple, medium-sized to relatively large; ovary fusiform, 7-9 mm including pedicel. Sepals rose-purple, suboblong, 7-10 mm long, 2.5-4 mm wide, subequal in length, apex obtuse; dorsal sepal erect, concave, 3-5-veined; lateral sepals spreading, slightly oblique, 3-veined. Petals erect, forming a hood with dorsal sepal, purplish pink, ovate-oblong to broadly oblong, 6.5-8 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm wide, 3-veined, apex obtuse; lip simple, oblong, elliptic, ovate, or subsquare, 8-11 mm long, 4-6.5 mm wide, longer than petals, base narrowed into a short claw, spurred, margin entire to slightly undulate, apex obtuse-rounded or subtruncate; disk purplish pink, spotted with dark purple, papillose; spur straight, cylindric, short, ca. 2 mm, much shorter than ovary, stout.

The chromosomal number of Galearis spathulata is 2n = 42 (Luo, 2004).

Growing in open forests, scrub, alpine meadows, roadsides; 2300-4300 m.