Gentiana prostrata var. karelinii - Himalayan Pygmy Gentian

Himalayan Pygmy Gentian is an annual herb 3-7 cm tall. Flowers are blue, basally greenish yellow, tubular, 1.5-2 cm; petals ovate-elliptic to ovate, 2.5-3 mm, margin entire, tip blunt; false-petals ovate, 2-2.5 mm, margin erose, tip blunt. Stamens are inserted at middle of flower tube. Sepal-cup is tubular, 0.8-1.4 cm; sepals triangular, 2-3 mm, margin narrowly membranous and smooth, tip pointed, midvein strongly keeled and decurrent into prominent wings of sepal-tube. Flower-stalks are 4-7 mm, surrounded by upper leaves to rarely protruding. Stems are rising up to erect, branched from base, hairless or papillose. Leaf-stalks are 1-1.5 mm, leaves spoon-shaped to obovate, 4-7 x 1.5-3.5 mm, margin smooth, tip rounded, midvein distinct. Capsules narrowly ellipsoid, 0.9-1.1 cm. Himalayan Pygmy Gentian is found in Central Asia to SW. Siberia and Himalaya, at altitudes of 2000-3100 m.