Adenophora stricta Miq.

Stems 40-80 cm tall, simple, often hispidulous or villous, rarely glabrous. Basal leaves ovate, base cordate. Cauline leaves sessile (lower ones sometimes with extremely short, winged petiole); blade elliptic or narrowly ovate, 3-11 × 1.5-5 cm, sparsely hispidulous, hirsute, or subglabrous, base cuneate, apex acute or shortly acuminate. Flowers often in a pseudoraceme, or inflorescences with short branches and thus in an extremely narrow panicle, very occasionally with long branches and panicle ample; pedicels less than 5 mm. Hypanthium obovoid or obconic, puberulent, verrucose-hairy, or less often glabrous; calyx lobes typically subulate, less often linear-lanceolate, 6-8 × 1-1.5 mm, margin entire. Corolla blue or purple, broadly campanulate, 1.5-2.5 cm, glabrous or hirsute at least along veins outside; lobes deltoid-ovate, ca. 1/2 as long as tube. Disk shortly tubular, 1-2.5 mm, glabrous. Style usually slightly longer (rarely shorter) than corolla. Capsule ellipsoid-globose (very rarely ellipsoid), 6-10 mm. Seeds brown-yellow, slightly compressed, ca. 1.5 mm. Fl. Aug-Oct. 2n = 34.

It is a temperate plant. It grows in eastern China. It grows best in a light rich slightly alkaline soil. It needs a sunny position. It does not like having its roots disturbed. It grows below 3,300 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

The root is eaten cooked after boiling in two changes of water. It is cooked with meat. The leaves are eaten cooked or raw.

Plants can be grown from seed. Seeds germinate in 1-3 months at 10°C. They can be transplanted or sown direct. Plants can also be grown from cuttings.