Gentiana spathulifolia Kuzn.

Annuals 8-12 cm tall. Stems purple, ascending to erect, branched from base, densely papillate. Basal leaves withered at anthesis; petiole 0.7-1 mm; leaf blade broadly ovate to suborbicular, 4-5.5 × 4-5 mm, margin indistinctly cartilaginous, apex rounded and mucronate, midvein prominent. Stem leaves 4-7 pairs, widely spaced; petiole tube 0.5-1 mm; leaf blade ovate-spatulate or upper leaves linear to narrowly elliptic, 4-5 × 1.3-2 mm, shorter than internodes, margin indistinctly cartilaginous and smooth or ciliate, apex triangular acute, midvein abaxially prominent. Flowers few. Pedicel purple, 3-10 mm, exserted from uppermost leaves, densely papillate. Calyx narrowly obconic, 5-7 mm; lobes narrowly triangular, 1.5-2.5 mm, margin narrowly membranous, apex acute, midvein prominent. Corolla purple, sometimes with blackish lines and spots in tube, funnelform, (1-)1.2-1.4 cm; lobes ovate, 2-2.5 mm, margin entire, apex obtuse; plicae ovate, 1.5-2 mm, margin entire or 2cleft, apex obtuse. Stamens inserted just below middle of corolla tube, equal; filaments 3-3.5 mm; anthers ellipsoid, 0.5-0.8 mm. Style 1-1.5 mm; stigma lobes linear. Capsules narrowly obovoid to obovoid, 5-6 mm; gynophore to 1.5 cm, stout. Seeds brown, ellipsoid, 1.2-1.5 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug-Sep.

S and W Gansu, SE Qinghai, Shaanxi (Taibai Shan), N Sichuan

* 2800-3800 m.