• Scientific Name: Roscoea cautleyoides Gagnep.
• Ref: Bull. Soc. Bot. France 48:lxxv. 1901 publ. 1902
• Synonyms:
  • Roscoea cautleyoides f. atropurpurea Cowley
  • R. cautleyoides f. sinopurpurea Cowley
  • R. chamaeleon Gagnep.
  • R. sinopurpurea Stapf
  • R. yunnanensis Loes.
• Chinese Common Name: 早花象牙参 zǎohuā xiàngyá∙shēn
• Family: Zingiberaceae
• Genus: Roscoea
• Distribution: Pinus forests, dwarf scrub, meadows, grasslands; 2000–3500 m. Sichuan, Yunnan
• Photo: Yulong Snow Mt., Yunnan

Plants 15--40(--60) cm tall. Leaves 3 or 4; leaf sheath glabrous or densely subappressed pubescent; ligule ca. 1 mm; leaf blade lanceolate or linear, 5--15(--40) × 1.5--3 cm, strongly keeled, scabrous, adaxially with scaly pustules, abaxially glabrous or densely subappressed pubescent, base narrowed, apex obtuse to acute. Inflorescence shortly to long exserted from leaf sheaths; peduncle ridged; bracts green with brownish veins, tubular, 4--6 cm. Flowers 1 to several opening together, purple, yellow, white, or rarely pale pink, sometimes appearing before leaves develop. Calyx 3--5.6 cm, split to middle on 1 side, apex 2-toothed. Corolla tube 3--3.5 cm, slender; lobes lanceolate, 2.5--2 cm. Labellum reflexed, obovate, 2.5--3 cm, external margin crisped, apex 2-lobed. Anther linear, 1--1.5 cm including spur. Capsule oblong, 1.5--3.5 cm. Seeds ellipsoid to 3-angled. Fl. May--Aug. (Flora of China)