Mostly tomentose or glabrescent perennial small erect or cushion-l ike herb, root stock prostrate, woody. Branches at the base clothed with persistent remains of leaf bases. Stipule adnate membranous, auricles membraneous rarely obsolete. Leaves alternate, mostly stipulate, digitately 3 or 5 foliolate or sometimes imparipinnate compound, rarely simple, mostly petiolate. Leaflets sessile or petiolulate, articulated or non-articulated at the base, mostly tomentose on both surfaces or rarely glabrescent, margin entirely dentate or apically toothed, mostly glandular. Inflorescence determinate, flowers sparsely arranged on short branches or in loose umbell-l ike cyme rarely in congested compound dichasia, mostly 5- merous, rarely 4-merous, perfect, rarely staminate, bracts leaf-l ike, bracteole mostly single or 2 together or absent. Epicalyx and calyx consist of (4-) 5 (-6-10) sepals, epicalyx lobes connate at the base, tomentose outside, mostly glabrous inside. Corolla apopetalous, deciduous, petals 5 rarely 4 or 6, often creamwhite or yellow rarely purple or pinkish, glabrous or very sparsely tomentose on margins. Stamens mostly 5, rarely 4 or 10, antisepalous, inserted at the edge of the disc. Carpels 4 to 24, inserted mostly on hairy or sometimes glabrous receptacle. Ovary glabrous, rarely hairy at the base, mostly ovoid or globose, style mostly lateral, rarely sub-terminal, stigma minute, glabrous, capitate. Achene glabrous, sometimes hairy at base, mostly smooth, rarely with minute ribs or folds.
A genus of 10 species occurring in Asia, North America and Europe, represented in Pakistan by five species.
Excluded Species
Sibbaldia unguiculata Rajput and Tahir in Pak. J. Bot. 40(6): 255. 2008.
According to the la bel on the Holotype of Sibbaldia unguiculata Rajput & Tahir collected from 'Pakistan,Lahul District, Chenab Valley, 13000 ft. 2.8.1980, Erica Clark s. n. (BM 013168)’. However, as discussed by the authors Lahul (Lahaul) is in India and not in Pakistan. Hence it is not included in the present manuscript.
