Zaluzianskya spathacea Walp.

Perennial herb with a thick clump of partly subterranean vegetative buds at the crown; stems solitary to several, simple, erect or ascending, up to 400 mm long, usually with retrorse white hairs, sometimes glabrous, leafy. Leaves at base of stem elliptic or oblanceolate, often narrowed to a petiole-like base, 30-100 x 8-18 mm, becoming narrowly elliptic to elliptic-oblong upwards and sharply ascending, 30-70 x 5-12(-18) mm, a little smaller below the inflorescence, margins usually entire or obscurely toothed, rarely coarsely toothed, hairy at least on margins and midline. Flowers opening at dusk or in dull light, arranged in a terminal spike elongating in fruit. Bracts adnate to calyx for 1-5 mm, 18-23 mm long, lanceolate, margins entire or with one or two pairs of callose teeth near tips, hairy at least on margins and midline. Calyx 12-15(-20) mm long, lips 4-6 mm long, either glabrous except for hairy margins, or thinly hairy all over. Corolla tube (36-)40-60 mm long, glandular-puberulous, hairs up to 0.1-0.2(-0.4) mm long, very rarely eglandular hairs as well, limb held horizontally, regular; mouth with a thick circlet of unicellular hairs, sometimes developed on upper side only; lobes 6-10 mm long, deeply notched, crimson and glandular-puberulous outside, white inside, either glabrous or glandular particularly in lower half. Stamens 4, anticous anthers 1.3-2.4 mm long, shortly exserted, posticous ones 3-5 mm long, included. Stigma 6.5-10 mm long, exserted. Capsule c. 12-15 x 4 mm. Seeds c. 1 x 0.6 mm (few seen), angled, colliculate, pallid.