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Physical Characteristics
Sometimes known as Chinese Foxglove due to its superficial resemblance to the genus Digitalis, the species of Rehmannia are perennial herbs. The plants have large flowers and are grown as ornamental garden plants in Europe and North America, and are used medicinally in Asia.

Herbs, 30-60 cm tall, villous. Stems simple or branched. Basal leaves subrosulate; petiole 2-7 cm, winged; leaf blade elliptic, 6-12 X 3-6 cm, sparsely white villous, base cuneate and gradually attenuate, margin irregularly crenate, coarsely serrate, or crenate. Stem leaves similar to basal leaves, gradually decreasing in size upward. Flowers exceeding bract. Pedicel villous, with eglandular and glandular hairs. Bracteoles absent. Calyx 1-2 cm; lobes lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, villous with eglandular and glandular hairs; lower 2 lobes 3-7 mm, subequal; upper 3 lobes slightly longer than lower lobes, middle lobe 1-1.2 cm; lateral lobes 5-8 mm. Corolla purple-red, 5.5-7 cm, outside villous; tube inflated; lower lip narrowly elliptic, apex acute to rounded, middle lobe ca. 2 X 1.4 cm, lateral lobes slightly smaller than other lobes; upper lip lobes ovate, 1.4-1.8 cm, apex subacute to rounded. Stamens 4; filaments basally short glandular hairy. Capsule ovoid, ca. 1.4 cm. Seeds ovoid to narrowly ovoid, ca. 1 mm. Fl. Apr-May, fr. May-Jun.

Habitats
Grassland on mountain slopes, trailsides; 100-500 m. Anhui, Jiangxi, Zhejiang.

Medicinal Uses
Known as dìhuáng (地黄) or gān dìhuáng (干地黄) in Chinese, R. glutinosa is used as a medicinal herb for a variety of ailments such as anemia, dizziness and constipation. Rehmannia contains the vitamins A, B, C, and D, as well as other useful compounds.