Lancea tibetica
Family: Phrymaceae
What it is like
A herb. It grows up to about 10 cm tall. It has rhizomes or underground stems 10 cm long. It has 2 soft scales near each node. There are 6-10 leaves in a ring. They are oval or spoon shaped and 2-7 cm long. The flowers are in groups of 3-5. They are dark blue to purple. The fruit is red to dark purple and oval and 1 cm long. There are many seeds. They are 1 mm across.
Also put in the families Scrophulariaceae and Mazaceae.
Where it is found
It is a subtropical plant. It grows in grassland and along streams between 2,000-4,500 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Mongolia, Nepal, Northeastern India, Sikkim, Tibet
How it is used for food
The young leaves are cooked as a vegetable.
Edible parts
Leaves