• Scientific Name: Strobilanthes dimorphotricha Hance
• Ref: J. Bot. 21:355. 1883
• Synonyms:
  • Goldfussia dimorphotricha (Hance) Bremek.
  • G. equitans (H.Lév.) E.Hossain
  • G. geniculata (C.B.Clarke) Bremek.
  • G. psilostachys (C.B.Clarke ex W.W.Sm.) Bremek.
  • G. seguinii (H.Lév.) C.Y.Wu & C.C.Hu
  • Strobilanthes burkillii Dunn
  • S. equitans H.Lév.
  • S. geniculata C.B.Clarke
  • S. marchandii H.Lév.
  • S. psilostachys C.B.Clarke ex W.W.Sm.
  • S. seguinii H.Lév.
• Chinese Common Name: 球花马蓝 qiúhuā mǎlán
• Family: Acanthaceae
• Genus: Strobilanthes
• Distribution: Thickets on limestone hills, streamsides, thickets by streams; 200-2200 m. Chongqing, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam].

Herbs 40-150 cm tall, perennial, much branched, isophyllous or anisophyllous. Stems apically somewhat zigzag, glabrous or yellowish pubescent. Petiole 0.5-1.5 cm, sparsely pubescent or glabrous; leaf blade elliptic, elliptic-lanceolate, ovate, oblong, or oblong-elliptic, 1.5-15 × 0.5-4.5 cm, smaller of pair 1/3-2/3 size of larger one, adaxially dark green, white appressed pubescent, and with slightly prominent cystoliths, abaxially glabrous or whitish pubescent along veins and with or without multicellular trichomes, secondary veins 5-7 on each side of midvein and sometimes forming a net near margin, base cuneate to attenuate, margin serrulate, apex acuminate, caudate, or acute. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, headlike spikes, subspherical, very compact, 2- or 3-flowered, usually 1-3 spikes forming a forked panicle; peduncle ca. 2.5 cm, glabrous or pubescent; bracts ovate-elliptic, 1-1.3 cm, caducous, glabrous, apex acute to acuminate; bracteoles lanceolate, ca. 5 mm, caducous. Calyx 7-9 mm, accrescent to 1.5-1.7 cm, 5-lobed almost to base; lobes lanceolate, gland-tipped pubescent, one lobe slightly longer than others. Corolla violet, 3-4 cm, slightly curved, outside subglabrous to sparsely pilose, inside glabrous except for trichomes retaining style; tube basally cylindric and ca. 2 mm wide for ca. 5 mm then ventricose and gradually widened to ca. 1.5 cm at mouth; lobes orbicular, 5-6 mm in diam., subequal, apex emarginate. Stamens 4, included; filaments glabrous; shorter filament pair ca. 2 mm, equal, incurved; longer filament pair 5-7 mm, unequal, erect; anther thecae spherical, ca. 1 mm in diam.; pollen type 3. Ovary pilose; style ca. 3.5 cm, pilose. Capsule oblong-clavate, 1.4-1.8 cm, gland-tipped pubescent, 4-seeded. Seeds ca. 2.5 × 2.5 mm, lenticular, pubescent. Fl. Aug-Feb(-Apr). (Flora of China)