Mackaya neesiana - East-Himalayan Bell-Bush

East-Himalayan Bell-Bush is a small shrub with leaves 10-23 x 5-10 cm, elliptic or ovate elliptic, pointed or tapering, membranous, densely lineolate on both surface, hairless above, velvet-hairy on the nerves beneath; lateral nerves 10-15 on either half; base narrowed into the stalk, 1.2-5 cm long, uppermost pair of leaves almost stalkless with a nearly heart-shaped base. Flowers in very velvet-hairy, 0.3 in. long; segmens linear. Flower-stalk 1-3 mm. Sepal-cup 4-6.5 mm; sepals linear-lanceshaped, usually gland-tipped velvet-hairy. Flowers are pink to purplish blue, 4-6 cm, outside gland-tipped velvet-hairy; tube with cylindric basal portion narrow, elongate, 3-4 cm, at least 2 times as long as throat and limb combined; lobes of lower lip ovate, about 6 x 8 mm; lobes of upper lip nearly round, about 7 x 7 mm. Stamens with longer pair about 5 mm, shorter pair about 2 mm Capsule are 2.5-30 mm long. Leaves are eaten as vegetable. East-Himalayan Bell-Bush is found in E. Himalaya to S. China and Peninsula Malaysia, Taiwan. Flowering: March-September.