An erect or decumbent-ascending sometimes pubescent at first but later generally quite glabrous perennial herb upto 40 cm tall, although commonly 7-20 cm tall, with several reddish stems arising from caudiculi borne on a woody stock. Stem-leaves alternate, subsessile or very shortly petiolate with the petiole less than 1 mm long; leaf-blades elliptic-ovate to elliptic, 1-5 x 1-2 cm, subacute, obtuse or rounded at the apex and rounded at the base, entire, sometimes slightly undulate, finely penninerved, pale green above and beneath. Pseudumbles 3-5-rayed, the rays not further divided, or occasionally pseudumbelrays not developed, and then with only a single solitary cyathium at the apex of the stem; axillary rays or branches not or rarely developed; pseudumbel-leaves 3-5, whorled, generally resembling the stem-leaves; ray-leaves opposite, ovate to rhombic-ovate or suborbicular, 1-2 x 1-1.5 cm, acute, subacute, obtuse or rounded at the apex and rounded or cuneate at the base. Cyathia shortly pedunculate. Glands reniform, rounded on the outer edge, green at first, later orange or brick-red. Fruit trilobate, ovoid-conic, 5.5-7 x 5.5-7 mm smooth, glabrous or pubescent. Styles erect, united to half-way, 3 mn long, shortly bifid. Seeds ovoid, 4.5-5 (-6) x 3.5-4 x 2.5-3 mm, smooth, pale grey, with a small sub-terminal obconical caruncle.

Fl. Per.: May - July. Fr. Per.: July - Sept.

Holotype: Kashmir, Baltistan, Maten’, just NE of the Zoji La, 26 Sept. 1848, T. Thomson s.n. (K).

Distribution: Afghanistan, Soviet Central Asia, Tibet, NW India. In the subalpine zone on steep, dry rocky and scree-slopes and hills on sandy or stony soil, amongst bushes and on waste ground; 7900'/12400 m. - 15,400'/4700 m.