Murdannia japonica - Tall Dewflower

Tall Dewflower is an erect stout perennial herb. Main stem is undeveloped and very short; fertile stems arising from base of main stems, erect, 20-40 cm x about 3 mm, hairless or bristly near nodes. Flowers are borne in panicles at branch-ends. fertile. Flowers are 1.2 cm across, solitary or 2-3 together, stalked; sepals 4-5 x 2 mm long, oblong-blunt, red-glandular; petals 6 x 4 mm long, obovate, blunt, pale blue or white. Stamens are 3, filaments bearded; staminodes 2-lobed, bearded. Leaves are on main stems several, basal, in rosette. Leaves are narrowly elliptic, 7-14 x 2-5 cm long, hairless, base wedge-shaped or broadly wedge-shaped, margin wavy, tip blunt, pointed, or shortly tapering. Leaves on fertile stems several, stem; basal leaf sheathlike, membranous, bladeless, 2-lobed, lobes subulate-triangular. Capsules are spherical, beaked, about 5 x 4 mm long, blunt at both ends. Tall Dewflower is native to Himalaya to Japan and W. Malesia, at altitudes of 1400-2000 m. Flowering: May-September.