Codonopsis clematidea (Schrenk) C. B. Clarke

Plants perennial. Root thick, elongated. Stem c. 1 m long, decumbent, branched, glabrous to sparsely pilose. Leaves opposite to alternate, sparsely pilose, petiolate, oval to ovate-lanceolate, sometimes slightly cordate, 3 x 2 cm; pubescent on both surfaces; margin almost entire. Flowers terminal on long peduncles; peduncles glabrous to sparsely pilose. Calyx segments overlapping at base, triangular, or ovate-lanceolate, up to 2 cm long, enclosing the flower in bud, glabrous or pilose, sinus acute. Corolla broad, U-shaped, base more than 1 cm broad, grey-blue. Anthers oblong, 5 mm long; filament base dilated. Stigma broadly 3-lobed, lobes ovate, papillate. Seeds elliptic.

Distribution: Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, Himalayas in Pakistan and India.

Fl. Per.: July-August.