Strobilanthes attenuata

Blue Nettle is an erect shrub up to 1.2 m, with round to 4-angled, sticky hairy branches. Flowers are dark-blue, about 2 cm across, in lax, glandular-pubescent panicle-like clusters. Flowers are 3-4 cm long, tube cylindrical below, as long as calyx, curved above, within, limb petals open. Sepals are 5, unequal, ligulate, 8-12 mm long, glandular hairy, blunt, enlarged and accrescent in fruit, one much larger than the rest. Bracts are narrowly lanceshaped-oblong, shorter than calyx, early falling off; bracteoles narrowly oblong, 4-5 mm long, falling off. Upper leaves are stalkess. Lower stem leaves are carried on 2.5-8.5 cm long, apically winged hairy stalks. Leaves are ovate, 8-16 x 4.5-8 cm, hairy on both sides to becoming hairless, basally heart-shaped or rounded, toothed, long-pointed. Capsule are narrowly elliptic-oblong, 1.5-1.7 cm long, glandular-pubescent to glabrescent, 4-seeded. Blue Nettle is found in the Himalayas, from Afghanistan to Nepal, at altitudes of 2000-3500 m. Flowering: June-October.