植物形态
多年生缠绕(极少数例外)草本。叶对生。花通常为聚伞花序,少单花,腋生或顶生,5数;花萼钟形,萼筒具10条脉,无翅;花冠漏斗形,钟形或长筒形,裂片间具褶;雄蕊着生于冠筒上,整齐、直立,两侧向下逐渐加宽成翅;子房一室,含多数胚珠,子房柄的基部有5个小的腺体。蒴果;种子多数、扁平、盘状具宽翅。
属模式:穗序蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia speciosa Wall .
分布及栖息
注解
本属是1826年Wallich根据C. speciosa及C. fasciculata两个种建立的,其后被Grisebach(1845),C. B. Clarke(1875),Gilg(1895)所承认。C. B. Clarke将缠绕茎的Tripterospermum归并本属,根据果实和种子的不同,分成2个组,后在1883年又升作2个亚属。Marquand(1931)将本属与Tripterospermum同时并入Gentiana中,仍分成2个组,但是对种的处理仍然是混淆的。1965年H. Smith对本属作了比较系统的分类研究,依据花萼筒具10脉;雄蕊对称,直立,花丝等长,顶端不弯曲,向下增宽;子房柄基部腺体裸露;蒴果;茎圆形,螺旋状缠绕等特征又独立为属,分成2个组,共记载17种。经我们整理时,对其中某些种作了订正与归并。

下级分类
大花蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia angustata C.B.Clarke.Crawfurdia arunachalensis S.S.Dash, Gogoi & A.A.Mao.Crawfurdia bomareoides (Marquand) H.Sm.云南蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia campanulacea Wall. & Griff. ex C.B.Clarke.Crawfurdia championii (Gardner) Alston.裂萼蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia crawfurdioides (C.Marquand) Harry Sm.根茎蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia crawfurdioides var. iochroa.披针叶蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia delavayi Franch.半侧蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia dimidiata (C.Marquand) Harry Sm.细柄蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia gracilipes Harry Sm.Crawfurdia lobatilimba W.L.Cheng.Crawfurdia loureiroi G.Don.斑茎蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia maculaticaulis C.J.Wu.Crawfurdia nyingchiensis K.Yao & W.L.Cheng.Crawfurdia pasquieri Merr.Crawfurdia poilanei Hul.福建蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia pricei (C.Marquand) Harry Sm.毛叶蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia puberula.直立蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia semialata (C.Marquand) Harry Sm.无柄蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia sessiliflora (C.Marquand) Harry Sm.Crawfurdia sinkuensis (Marquand) H.Sm.穗序蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia speciosa Wall.Crawfurdia thibetica Franch.四川蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia tibetica.Crawfurdia tonkinensis J.Murata ex Hul.Crawfurdia trinervis (Blume) D.Dietr.苍山蔓龙胆 Crawfurdia tsangshanensis C.J.Wu.