1. Helonias L., Sp. Pl. 1:342 (1753).
Taxon Description
Perennial herbs with a short, thickened, slightly fleshy rhizome. Leaves in a basal rosette, linear to oblanceolate or basally gradually narrowed to a petiole. Scape arising from axils of lateral leaves, erect, simple with several to many scaly leaves. Inflorescence a terminal raceme, 4–7-flowered, sessile, ebracteate. Tepals oval to rounded, four in each whorl. Flowers spike, bisexual, usually nodding at anthesis, ascending in fruit, spreading funnel form. Tepals 6, persistent, free to base, with a nectary gland basally on adaxial side. Stamen 6, rather long, free from tepals or inserted on base of tepals, inner one basally adnate to ovary, outer ones free. Anthers usually reniform, basifixed, with confluent locules. Ovary 3-locular, ovules many per locule. Style 1, very short with three recurved stigmatic lobes. Fruit a loculicidal capsule, 3-lobed apically. Seeds numerous, linear, narrowly fusiform, both ends caudate with long terminal projections.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide seven species, including six species of Ypsilandra (Christenhusz et al., 2017). One species in Nepal.
1. Helonias yunnanensis (W.W. Sm. & Jeffrey) N. Tanaka, J. Jap. Bot. 73:105 (1998).
Ypsilandra yunnanensis W.W.Sm. & Jeffrey, Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 9: 143 (1916).
Perennial herbs, 8–14 cm tall, 1mm thick diameter at base having short 1–2.5cm thick rhizome. Leaves light green, 6–9 (-13), basal rosette, linear to lanceolate or oblanceolate or spatulate, 2–9 X 1–3.5 cm, relatively thick-textured, sessile or basally gradually narrowed to a 0.7–4 cm long petiole with many parallel veins. Scape arising from axils of lateral leaves, erect, simple, 8–14 cm, much longer than basal leaves, apiculate, sometimes recurved. Inflorescence 6–7-flowered, rather narrow, densely cylindric. Pedicel 1–2 mm, lowest 2 with minute bracteoles. Tepals pale blue, whitish or reddish-brown, persistent, spathulate or oblanceolate to elliptic, blunt, 4–5 X 1–2 mm. Stamens shorter than tepals, filaments 2.5–3 mm. Ovary deeply 3-lobed, stigma lobes recurved, divided almost to base. Capsule black-brown, broadly obovoid, slightly longer than persistent tepals 4 X 3mm. Seeds yellowish-brown, 2–2.5 X 0.5 mm linear, acute membranous projection at apex.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya, Tibetan-Plateau and Assam-Burma.
Altitudinal Range: 2700−4100 m.
Ecology: On open grassy slopes.
Flowering: June−July. Fruiting: August−October.