Eranthemum tetragonum - Angled-Stem Eranthemum

Angled-Stem Eranthemum is a perennial herb up to 1 m tall. Stems are 4-angled, hairless or velvet-hairy. Leaf-stalks are about 5 mm; leaf blade lanceshaped to linear-lanceshaped to oblong, 6-20 x 2-4 cm, hairless, secondary veins about 5 on each side of midvein, base narrowed and decurrent onto leaf-stalk, margin entire or crenulate, tip tapering. Purple-blue flowers are borne in spikes 3-8 cm long, flower-cluster-stalk 2-37 mm, gland-tipped velvet-hairy. Bracts are yellowish white with green along veins, oblong to lanceshaped, 1-2.2 x 0.2-0.9 cm, tip pointed to tapering; bracteoles lanceshaped, about 4 mm, gland-tipped velvet-hairy. Sepal-cup is about 6 mm, outside hairy, 5-lobed to middle; sepals lanceshaped, about 1 mm wide. Flower are about 4.5 cm, gland-tipped velvet-hairy; tube basally cylindric for about 3 cm; petals obovate, about 6 x 5 mm. Stamens do not protrude out, filaments about 3 mm, hairless. Ovary is gland-tipped velvet-hairy; style hairy. Capsule is 1-1.4 cm, gland-tipped velvet-hairy. Angled-Stem Eranthemum is found in forests or thickets, at altitudes of 400-800 m, from NE India to China (Yunnan) and Indo-China. Flowering: December-March.