Botanical name: Stachyurus himalaicus    Family: Stachyuraceae (Spiketail family)
Synonyms: Stachyurus brachystachyus, Stachyurus himalaicus subsp. purpureus

Himalayan Spiketail is a shrub or small tree, 3-5 m tall. Flowers are borne in beautiful hanging stalkless spikes, 5-13 cm long. Flowers are yellow, or sometimes purple, about 6 mm, nearly stalkless. Petals are obovate, about 5 x 3.5 mm, sepals broadly ovate, about 3 mm, tip blunt. Bract are triangular, about 2 mm; bracteoles broadly ovate, tip pointed. Ovary is ovoid-oblong, hairy; style about 1.5 mm. Leaf-stalks are 0.5-1.5 cm, leaf blade ovate-lanceshaped to oblong-lanceshaped, 8-13 x 3.5-5.5 cm, papery to thinly leathery, lateral veins 5-7-paired, raised on both sides, base blunt, margin densely minutely toothed, tip tapering to long tapering. Fruit is almost spherical, 7-8 cm in diameter, hairless. Himalayan Spiketail is found in broadleaf forests, thickets, in East Himalaya, NE India, China South-Central, Myanmar, Nepal, Tibet, at altitudes of 400-3000 m. Flowering: March-April.

Your name:
Your email:
Your comments
The flower labeled Himalayan Spiketail is ...