Roscoea cautleyoides

Appearance

"Roscoea cautleyoides" is a perennial herbaceous plant. Like all members of the genus "Roscoea", it dies back each year to a short vertical rhizome, to which are attached the tuberous roots. When growth begins again, "pseudostems" are produced: structures which resemble stems but are actually formed from the tightly wrapped bases of its leaves. "R. cautleyoides" is usually 15–40 cm tall, with three or four leaves. Each leaf has a small ligule, extending to about 1 mm. The blade of the leaf is usually 5–15 cm long by 1.5–3 cm wide. The leaf sheath is smooth or hairy, with hairs which are more-or-less bent over. The lower part of the leaf blade is similar; the upper part is scaly.

In its native habitats, "R. cautleyoides" flowers between May and August. The flower spike emerges somewhat from the leaf sheaths. One or more flowers open together and may be of various colours: purple, yellow, white or less often pale pink. Green bracts, 4–6 cm long, with brownish veins, subtend the flowers.

Each flower has the typical structure for "Roscoea". There is a tube-shaped outer calyx, 3–6 cm long, split to the middle on one side with a two-toothed apex. Next the three petals form a tube 3–3.5 cm long, terminating in three lobes, each 2–2.5 cm long: an upright central lobe and two side lobes. Inside the petals are structures formed from four sterile stamens : two lateral staminodes form what appear to be small upright petals; two central staminodes are fused at the base to form a lip or labellum, 2.5–3 cm long. This bends backwards and is split at the end into two lobes; the sides are wavy.
The single functional stamen has a linear anther, 1–1.5 cm long.

Naming

The scientific name is also spelt "Roscoea cautleoides".

Distribution

"Roscoea cautleyoides" occurs in pine forests, low scrub, meadows, and grasslands, between 2,000 and 3,500 metres in the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of China.