Tomentose, procumbent perennial herbs, forming dense moss-l ike cushions. Leaves trifoliolate and palmate, petioles 5-8 mm long, tomentose, stipule 3-5 x 2.5-3.5 mm, glabrous adaxially except apices which are slightly tomentose. Leaflets sessile, usually articulated at base, 4-7 x 2-4.5 mm, oblong-elliptical or cuneately obovate, blades often folded longitudinally wh en dried and the middle one larger than the lateral ones, middle blades with 3 glandular, apical teeth, middle tooth generally smaller than 2 lateral ones, lateral blades with 2 equal glandular teeth at the apex, tomentose on both surfaces, hairs, whitish, soft, spreading. Flowers solitary or 2 or 3 together at ends of short bracteolate branches or in the axils of leaves, 4-merous, mostly staminate or sometimes perfect (and the plants staminate or polygamous), pedicles 1-1.5 mm long, tomentose, bracts 3-4 x 0.5-0.8 mm, linear-oblong, entire, acute, bract stipules 1.5-2.0 x 1-1.2 mm, bracteoles linear, 0.7-1.0 mm long, ca 0.5 mm wide, tomentose abaxially, glabrous and veined adaxially. Epicalyx lobes 4, sometimes 5, 1.2-1.7 x 0.2-0.4 mm. Sepals 4, 2-2.5 x 0.8-1.8 mm, oblong-deltoid, acute, tomentose abaxially, glabrous adaxially. Petals 4, pale yellow, 2-3.5 x ca. 1 mm, oblong-obovate, obtuse or emerginate, perfect flowers usually with larger petals. Stamens 4 (-5), antisepalous, inserted at the edge of the lobed disc, filaments 0.5-1.1 mm long, linear, usually longer in staminate flowers, anthers ca. 0.2 mm long and broad, rounded-elliptical, disc 1-1.5 mm across, with a slit-l ike opening in the middle, receptacle in staminate flowers mostly glabrous or very rarely hairy. Carpels 5 or 6, inserted on receptacle, absent in the staminate flowers, ovary 0.8-1.3 mm long, oblong-obovate, glabrous, style lateral, 1-1.3 mm long, lower half light brown, upper half dark purple, stigma ca. 0.2 mm in diameter. Achene oblong-orbicular, smooth, brown, 1.2 mm in diameter.

Fl. Per.: April

Holotype: Mountain tops along the Chuya River, Juzepezuk (LE).

B-8 Kashmir: Satpura pass above Skardu, R. R. Stewart 20198 (A), B-9 Buriji La Deosai side, R. R. Stewart 20162 (A), Burjila 14500 ft, C.B. Clarke 29854 (B), Taklung la, W. Koelz 6496 (A, US), Gonaji Rupshu, W. Koelz 2117 (US), Above Chortren Chen, Ladak, W. Koelz 2673 (US).

Distribution: Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Kashmir and former USSR.

Growing among boulders and in scree, forming compact mats, at an altitude 1700-4500 ft.

In almost all previously published descriptions of this species, the plant is described as dioecious and flowers as unisexual. According to our observation both staminate and perfect flowers are found even on a single shoot, hence the plants are not always dioecious and flowers are not always imperfect.