Swertia erythrosticta Maxim.

Perennials 20-50 cm tall. Rhizomes blackish, short, with few slightly fleshy rootlets. Stems erect, robust, striate, simple. Basal leaves withered at anthesis. Stem leaves with petiole flattened, to 7 cm, shorter toward apex, base connate into a sheath; blade oblong, ovate-elliptic, or ovate, 5-11(-12.5) × 1-3.5 cm, smaller toward apex, base narrowed, apex obtuse, veins 3-5. Inflorescences panicles of cymes, (5-)10-45 cm, narrow, many flowered. Flowers 5merous. Pedicel somewhat arcuate, 1-2 cm. Calyx lobes lanceolate, 5-10 mm, margin narrowly membranous, apex acuminate. Corolla pale yellow-green, with or without brown spots, 1.2-1.5(-2) cm in diam., tube 1-1.5 mm; lobes oblong to ovate-oblong, 0.8-1.7 cm × (1.5-)3-6 mm, apex obtuse. Nectaries 1 per corolla lobe, deeply cupular to almost tubular, fimbriae 1.5-2 mm. Filaments 5-7 mm, base fimbriate-barbate; anthers ovoid, 2-2.5 mm. Style short, distinct; stigma lobes suborbicular. Capsules ovoid-ellipsoid, 1-1.5 cm. Seeds light brown, ellipsoid, 0.8-1 mm, wings discoid. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct.

Gansu, Hebei, Hubei, Nei Mongol, Qinghai, Shanxi, Sichuan [Korea]

1500-4300 m.