Lepidagathis cataractae
Content
Description
Reclining to ascending perennial herb to 25 cm tall. Stem quadrangular, narrowly winged, sparingly pubescent with small, flexuose-antrose, eglandular trichomes. Leaves shortly petiolate or uppermost sessile; petiole to 2 mm long; blade oblong to elliptic, 2-3.5 x 0.5-0.8 cm, obtuse or rounded at apex, narrowed at base to a slender, winged petiole, both surfaces nearly glabrous with pubescence, if present, restricted to primary and secondary veins (4-5 pairs). Inflorescence of terminal, sessile to pedunculate, cylindric, densely bracteate, spikes of 2-3 cm long, 5-8 mm in diam. near midspike; peduncle to 2 mm long; rachis if visible, sparingly puberulous; cymes usually 3-flowered, sessile; bracts narrowly elliptic, 4.5-8 x 0.8-3 mm, acute to mucronate at apex, prominently 3-veined, abaxial surface sparingly pubescent with flexuose to flexuose-antrorse, eglandular and inconspicuous glandular trichomes; bracteoles sometimes asymetrical, narrowly elliptic, 3 x 0.5 mm, aristate at apex, usually venose, abaxial surface glabrous to sparingly pubescent like bracts, margin ciliolate, secondary bracteoles similar to bracteoles except somewhat smaller. Flowers subsessile; calyx 3.5-5 mm long, abaxially pubescent like bracts, posterior lobe elliptic, 4-5 x 1-1.5 mm, mucronulate at apex, with 3 longitudinal veins, lateral lobes lance-subulate, 2.5-3 x 0.25-0.5 mm, with 1 longitudinal vein, anterior lobes narrowly elliptic, connate (somewhat) for a greater distance than other lobes, 3.5 x 0.5-0.75 mm, mucronulate at apex, each with 1 longitudinal vein, usually ± venose; corolla white or lavender with violet lines on lower lip, 6-6.5 mm long, tube cylindric, 2-2.5 mm long, limb externally glabrous, upper lip 2.5-3 mm long, minutely 2-lobed, lobes rounded, 0.4-0.5 mm long, lower lip 2.5-3 mm long, lobes obovate, 1.5-2 x 1-1.2 mm; stamens 4, longer pair 2.5-2.8 mm long, shorter pair 1.8-2 mm long, thecae 0.3-0.5 mm long, parallel, ± equally inserted on longer stamens, unequally inserted on shorter stamens, unappendaged at base; style 4-4.2 mm long, curved toward lower lip of corolla at apex, proximally glabrous, stigma subcapitate, 0.2 mm long, lobes, inonspicuous. Capsule 2.5-3 mm long, light brownish, dorsally pubescent with erect to flexuouse eglandular trichomes; seeds 4, 0.9-1 x 0.6-0.8 mm.