Beketovia tianschanica Krassnov; Braya oxycarpa J. D. Hooker & Thomson var. scharnhorstii (Regel & Schmalhausen) O. E. Schulz; B. pamirica (Korshinsky) O. Fedtschenko; B. pamirica var. glabra O. Fedtschenko; B. sternbergii Krassnov; B. thomsonii J. D. Hooker var. pamirica (Korshinsky) O. E. Schulz; Erysimum pamiricum Korshinsky; Neotorularia pamirica Z. X. An; Solms-laubachia carnosifolia Z. X. An.
Herbs densely cespitose, (2-)3-12(-17) cm tall, scapose, densely to sparsely pilose with short-stalked, forked trichomes often mixed with fewer simple ones; caudex densely covered with petiolar remains of previous years' growth, few to many branched. Basal leaves rosulate; petiole (2-)3-8(-11) mm, persistent and becoming papery, greatly expanded and to 3 mm wide at base, ciliate with simple trichomes; leaf blade linear to linear-oblanceolate, rarely oblanceolate, (0.2 -)0.4-2.5(-4) cm × 0.5-1.5(-2) mm, densely pilose or glabrous, base attenuate, margin entire, apex obtuse. Cauline leaves sessile, similar to basal ones. Racemes bracteate along lower part, elongated in fruit. Fruiting pedicels ascending, 2-6(-10) mm. Sepals greenish, ovate or oblong, 2-2.5 × 1-1.5 mm, sparsely to densely pubescent, broadly white margined. Petals yellow, broadly obovate, 3.5-5 × 1.5-3 mm, apex rounded; claw often pinkish, 1.5-2 mm. Filaments pinkish, 1.5-2.5 mm; anthers ovate, 0.5-0.6 mm. Ovules 6-14 per ovary. Fruit ovoid, oblong, or linear, (3-)4-8(-12) × 1-1.5 mm, puberulent, torulose; style 0.5-1 mm. Seeds ca. 1-1.4 × 0.5-0.6 mm. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Aug-Sep.
Stony slopes, sandy areas, mountains; 3500-5000 m. SW Xinjiang (Taxkorgan Tajik Zizhixian, Yecheng Xian) [Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan].
The above first record of Braya scharnhorstii from China is based on the type collections of Neotorularia pamirica and Solms-laubachia carnosifolia, as well as on Qinghai-Tibet Team 1151 (HNWP, KUN), from Yecheng Xian, and Qingai-Tibet Team 870474 (KUN), Xinjiang Team 764 (MO, PE), Xinjiang Team 1351 and 2240 (WUK), and Zhu Guiling 56 (XJA), all from Taxkorgan Tajik Zizhixian.
This is the only species of the genus with yellow flowers, pinkish petal claws, and bracteate racemes. Braya pamirica differs from B. scharnhorstii only in having longer fruit, and the difference appears to be continuous and unreliable. The species is highly variable in the density of indumentum, and forms with glabrescent or variously pubescent leaf blades exist.
