Paraboea sinensis (Oliver) B. L. Burtt

Paraboea sinensis varies geographically from SW to NE: the leaves gradually diminish in size, their shape varies from elliptic or narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblong, and the number of flowers per inflorescence gradually decreases.

Subshrubs. Stems to 1 m, brown pannose, glabrescent. Leaves opposite, spread along stem; petiole 2-10 cm; leaf blade narrowly elliptic or oblong to ovate or obovate, 5.5-26 X 2-10 cm, papery, adaxially grayish to brown pannose to puberulent, subglabrescent, abaxially brownish pannose, base sometimes oblique, cuneate to subcordate, margin subentire to serrulate, apex acute to acuminate; lateral veins 10-15 on each side of midrib. Cymes axillary, near branch apices; peduncle 2.5-6(-8) cm, brown pannose; bracts 2, suborbicular to broadly ovate, 1-1.5 X 0.8-1.2 cm, outside glandular puberulent to glabrous. Pedicel 5-12 mm. Calyx 5-sect from base or near base; segments oblong-spatulate to flabellate or obovate, 7-15 X 4-7 mm, outside glandular puberulent to glabrous. Corolla blue-purple to purple-red, 1.5-2 cm, outside glabrous; tube 1-1.3 cm; lobes 4-5 X ca. 5 mm. Filaments 6-9 mm, pubescent to glabrous; anthers ca. 4 mm; staminodes 1-3, 0.5-3 mm. Pistil glabrous; ovary 5-6 mm. Style 1.5-5 mm. Capsule spirally twisted, 2.5-5.6 cm, glabrous. Fl. May-Jul, fr. May-Nov.

SW Guangxi, Guizhou, W Hubei, SE Sichuan, SW and SE Yunnan [Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam].

Crevices of rocks or on cliffs in forests; 600-2500 m.

Phylloboea sinensis Oliver, Hooker's Icon. Pl. 18: pl. 1721. 1887; Boea chaffanjonii H. Léveillé; Chlamydoboea sinensis (Oliver) Stapf; C. sinensis f. macra Stapf; C. sinensis f. macrophylla Stapf; Paraboea sinensis f. macra (Stapf) C. Y. Wu ex H. W. Li; P. sinensis f. macrophylla (Stapf) C. Y. Wu ex H. W. Li.