106 ANNALS OF ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CALCUTTA. 
(rarely distinctly sheathing), hirsute to subglabrous, 8—15— 40 cm. long, lower ones 
usually about twice as long as the lamina; blade of a firm texture, broad-reniform to 
broad-ovate in outline, of lower and middle leaves 8—15 cm. long, tripartite to $ or $, 
cordate with the sinus triangular or semiorbicular, beneath pale, nearly glabrous at both 
surfaces or subtomentose beneath or more or less pubescent above, or beset with stiff hairs, 
especially along the nerves beneath; segments spreading, lateral ones trapezoid, un- 
equally bifid, the middle and intermediate divisions ovate-oblong or deltoid or rhomboid 
or oblong-lanceolate in outline, all of them bipinnately cleft and incised-serrate or 
crenate-serrate, serratures from broad-ovate to lanceolate, callose-apiculate; upper leaves 
sometimes lanceolate, incised-serrate. Inflorescence racemoso-paniculate ; racemes 8—15, 
but also 60 cm. long. Bracts at the base or higher up on the pedicel, broad-lanceolate, 
oblanceolate or linear, acute or sub-obtuse, 6—20 mm. long, hairy, more or less ciliate. 
Bracteoles usually close to the flower, broadly lanceolate to linear, 5—15 mm. long, 
ciliate. Sepals spreading or patulous, 12—20 mm. long, 8--5-пегуей, blue ог (moe 
rarely) purple, hairy on both sides ; lamina of posterior sepal ovate, obtuse; spur ascend- 
ing or horizontal, about as long as the lamina or distinctly shorter, conical, straight or 
little curved; lateral sepals ovate or elliptic, rounded, anterior ones elliptic-oblong, 
obtuse or rounded. Staminodes bluish-black, shorter than the sepals; lamina of nectari- 
ferous staminodes bidentate or subcrenate at the tip, spur open on the inner side to 
about one-half, and here often minutely pubescent, subulate below; lamina of petaloid 
staminodes asymmetrically ovate, deeply and unequally bifid, 5—8 mm. long, upper 
surface villously bearded, margins ciliate, lower surface subglabrous; claw about as long 
as the lamina. Stamens about 30—40, about half as long as the sepals, glabrous; 
filaments lanceolate below, subfiliform above, 5—7 mm. long; anthers ellipsoidal, 1 mm, 
long. Pistils 3, rarely 4, 5—8 mm. long; ovaries ovate-oblong, 3—6 mm. long, pubescent, 
or glabrous except the sutures; style filiform; stigma shortly bilobed. Follicles 3 (or 
4), ovoid or usually cylindric, chartaceous, reticulate, 8—25 mm. long, truncate at the 
apex, glabrous or hairy. Seeds numerous, obpyramidate, dorsally broader, covered with 
scariose, scale-like, epidermal wrinkles, 1'2—2'5 mm. long. 
Flowers in August and September. 
From Baltistan to Nipal, extending olay westwards into the Hindu Kush and 
northwards into Tibet. 
Var. а. RRACHYCENTRA, Р. В.; stem more or less flexuose, upwards with short spreading 
hairs; (upper) leaves reniform,. rather sparsely pubescent on both surfaces; pedicels much 
longer than the flowers, suberect, stout; bracteoles close to the flowers, linear or oblanceo 
late; sepals 17—95 mm. long; spur often subrecurved, subulate, 3 to $ the length of the 
sepals; follicles cylindric.— Western Tibet (Herb. Fale. /); Gilgit (Giles: D. vestitum !), 
Var. В, велахтна, P. В.; stem puberulous, pubescent in the upper part of the floral axis; 
leaves reniform, very coarsely and triangularly serrate, little hairy on both sides; pedi- 
cels ascending, stout, much longer than the pale blue flowers; bracteoles oblanceolate- 
linear, usually alternate, rather remote from the flower; sepals patulous, with long soft 
white bairs; spur distinctly shorter than the sepals, stout, conical, obtuse; follicles 8—4, 
ovoid, about 1 cm. long.—Flowers in August.—Kashmir: Kamri Pass, 12—13,000° (Duthie '). 
Var. у. THYRSANTHA, P. B.; stem glabrescent below, floral axis densely pubescent; leaves 
, otherwise —— sparsely and coarsly hairy or nearly glabrous, reniform or iso- 
diametric; pedicels patulous, raany times longer than the flowers, rather slender; brac- 
teoles ovate or broad-lanceolate, close to the flowers; sepals about 2 cm. long, pubescent, 
