Strobilanthes dimorphotricha - Unequal-Leaved Coneflower

Unequal-Leaved Coneflower is a perennial herb 40-150 cm tall, much branched, with leaves in strongly unequal pairs (in the plants found in India). Inflorescence rarely exceed 5 cm in length, the branches commonly short and forked, often bent. Calyx is 7-9 mm, growing up to 1.5-1.7 cm, 5-lobed almost to base. Sepals lanceshaped, gland-tipped velvet-hairy, one sepal slightly longer than others. Flowers are violet, 3-4 cm, slightly curved, outside nearly hairless to hairy, tube basally cylindric and about 2 mm wide for about 5 mm then swollen and gradually widened to about 1.5 cm at mouth. Lobes are round, 5-6 mm in diameter, nearly equal, tip notched. Stamens are 4, not protruding. Stems are apically somewhat zigzag, hairless or yellowish velvet-hairy. Leaves are nearly always strongly unequal, with the smaller leaf about a quarter of the larger leaf. Leaves are distinctly ovate in outline, often with a rounded base. Leaf tips are commonly strongly curved as well as tapering. Leaf-stalks 0.5-1.5 cm, blade 1.5-15 x 0.5-4.5 cm. Capsules are oblong-club-shaped, 1.4-1.8 cm, gland-tipped velvet-hairy, 4-seeded. Unequal-Leaved Coneflower is widespread in S. China, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram, at altitudes up to 2200 m. Flowering: August-November.