A perennial plant 4-12 cm tall. Rhizomes to 1 cm in diam., coarsely rooting from nodes. Petiole short; leaf blade spatulate to ovate, 3-6 cm, black when dry, base tapering, margin serrate or rarely double serrate. Scape brown glandular hairy; spike 1-2 cm. Pedicel 2-3 mm. Calyx 4-6 mm, to 1 cm in fruit; lobes lanceolate to obovate-oblong, upper lobe sublinear, brown glandular hairy. Corolla dark purple, 8-10 mm, outside pubescent; tube abaxially 2-3 mm, adaxially 4-5 mm; lower lip ca. 1/2 as long as upper, 3-lobed, lateral lobes with 2 or 3 small teeth; upper lip hooked, emarginate; filaments glabrous, anterior 2 ca. 7 mm, posterior 2 ca. 4 mm; ovary 1-1.2 mm; style 5-6 X as long as ovary. Capsule narrowly ovoid, 8-10 mm.
Herb Effects
Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiperiodic, cathartic (in large doses), cholagogue, laxative, stomachic and bitter tonic (rhizome)
The rhizome is useful in treating platelet aggregation, leishmaniasis, fevers, constipation, dyspepsia and jaundice. It is also often used in the treatment of scorpion stings and snake bites. The rhizomes can be of help in the treatment of bronchial asthma and a number of auto-immune diseases such as psoriasis and vitiligo, whilst it has also been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels and reduce coagulation time.
Reference
Jing-Nuan Wu. An Illustrated Chinese Materia Medica. P: 484, Oxford University Press, Inc.2005.
Health Remedies 
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