Strobilanthes pentastemonoides - Penstemon Coneflower

Penstemon Coneflower is a nearly erect perennial herb up to 3 ft tall, with young shoots hairy and woody rootstock. Flowers are dark blue to purple, about 3.5 cm long, in heads or condensed spikes. Flowers are hairless, tube pale, curved, limb about 1.5-1.8 cm across, with rounded lobes. Sepals are 5, unequal, linear-oblong, 7-8 mm long, the longest lobe about 1 cm long, generally hairless, ocasionally glandular-hairy, blunt, enlarged in fruit. Bracts are small, circular-oblong, about 7-8 mm long, falling off. Bracteoles are similar to but smallar than bracts. Leaves are nearly stalkless or sometimes the base narrowing into up to 2.5 cm long, winged stalk. Leaf blade is elliptic or ovate-elliptic, 12-25 x 4-6.5 cm, hairy to hairless on both sides, base narrowed, margin toothed, tip long-pointed. Capsule is oblong, about 1.5 cm long, glandular-velvet-hairy, 4-seeded. Penstemon Coneflower is found in the Himalayas, from Pakistan to N. India, common at altitudes of 1800-2600 m. Flowering: July-October.