Herbs perennial, 6-15 cm tall. Stems caespitose, curved pubescent. Petiole short, ca. 1 mm; leaf blade abaxially purple-red, adaxially dark green, ovate, broadly ovate, or orbicular, 0.3-1.5 × 0.4-1.5 cm, thickly papery, both surfaces curved pubescent, midvein raised abaxially, slightly impressed adaxially, lateral veins indistinct on both surfaces, base rounded, margin entire, recurved, apex obtuse, mucronate. Racemes opposite to leaves or extra-axillary, often with a solitary flower at base of racemes, or sometimes only a solitary flower; inflorescence 0.5-2 cm, 2-4-flowered; peduncle 2-3 mm. Pedicel 1-3 mm, curved pubescent. Flowers 3-5 mm. Sepals 5, persistent, purple-red; outer sepals 3, ovate, small, ca. 3 mm, abaxially curved pubescent, adaxially glabrous; inner sepals 2, large, obliquely obovate, ca. 6 × 2.5 mm, curved pubescent on midvein and margin. Petals 3, connate in lower 1/2, purple-red; lateral petals oblong-elliptic, ca. 5 × 1.5 mm, inside pubescent at base; keel shorter than lateral petals, ca. 4 mm, apex with fimbriate crested appendages. Stamens 7 or 8; filaments ca. 4 mm, lower 2/3 forming a staminal sheath, ciliate, adnate with petals, upper 1/3 2-lobed or connate throughout. Ovary obovoid, winged, ciliate; style ca. 2 mm, slightly curved. Capsule obcordate, ca. 5 mm in diam., broadly winged, apex retuse, wing ca. 0.5 mm wide, ciliate. Seeds black, ovoid, ca. 1.5 mm in diam., densely white villous; strophiole yellowish, membranous, white pubescent, 3-parted, ca. 1/2 as long as seeds. Fl. and fr. Jun-Aug.
Home