Bryocarpum himalaicum Hook. f. & Thomson

Family Description

Herbs, usually rhizomatous, perennial or annual. Leaves simple, sometimes all radical or sometimes cauline, alternate or opposite, exstipulate. Flowers bisexual, regular, mostly 5-merous, sometimes 4-7-merous, small or medium-sized, sometimes axillary, solitary or in heads, umbels or in whorls sometimes aggregated into racemes or spikes, inflorescences often on peduncles (scapes); flowers monomorphic or dimorphic (pin- and thrum-flowers) with styles and stamens set at different levels. Calyx teeth connate or at least coherent at base. Corolla rotate with cylindrical basal tube and 5-7 patently spreading lobes or funnel-shaped with corolla tube and lobes more or less in line. Stamens as many as corolla lobes, adnate and opposite to them. Ovary superior, ovoid, globose or narrowly cylindric, unilocular, style short or elongate, stigma often capitate. Capsule 5-7-valved or upper part dehiscing as a cap or bursting irregularly. Seeds few to numerous, borne on a free central placenta, compressed and winged or peltate and convex beneath.

Genus Description

Perennial Leaves basal, simple, entire, petiolate, with bud scales at base. Peduncles slender, sparsely pubescent and glandular. Flowers 7-merous, solitary, nodding. Calyx divided almost to base. Corolla tube almost as long as whole calyx; lobes elongate, slightly spreading. Stamens attached half-way up corolla tube; anthers acuminate. Ovary oblong; style slender. Capsule narrowly cylindric, dehiscing by apical cap

Species description

Bud scales oblong, at first 1-1.5 x 1cm, later up to 6.5 x 2cm, apex rounded. Leaves oblong to ovate, (2-)4.5-10 x (1-)1.5-5cm, acute or obtuse, base cordate, sparsely pubescent above, minutely blackish glandular beneath; petiole up to 6cm, winged. Peduncles up to 30cm. Calyx 7-12mm, sparsely glandular; teeth narrowly lanceolate. Corolla yellow, tube 5-12mm; lobes elongate-oblong, bidentate, 7-16 x 1.5-3mm. Filaments c 1mm; anthers 3-5mm. Capsule 5-7.5 x 0.2-0.5cm, apex ± toothed after dehiscing; seeds ovoid, 2-2.5 x 1mm, brown.