A. RADCLIFFE-SMITH

An erect sparingly pubescent to subglabrous perennial herb up to 60 cm tall, with numerous stems arising directly from a stout woody stock, forming dense clumps. Stem-leaves alternate, sessile or subsessile, ovate-lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 4-11 x 1-3 cm, grading into smaller scale-leaves towards the base of the stem, acute, subacute.or obtuse at the apex, tapered or more or less rounded at the base, entire, closely penninerved, more or less glabrous, bright green above, paler beneath. Pseudumbels 5-6 (-7)-rayed, the rays once or twice trichotomous or dichotomous; pseudumbel-leaves 5-6 (-7), whorled, ovate to lanceolate, somewhat smaller than the stem-leaves and often yellowish-tinged; ray-leaves in whorls of 3 or opposite, ovate, yellow or yellowish-green. Cyathia sessile, except for the pedunculate one terminating the main stem. Glands transversely ovate, rounded and slightly undulate on the outer edge, ochreous-orange. Fruits trilobate-subglobose, 5-7 x 7-8 mm, smooth, glabrescent, bright green. Styles erect, united for half their length, 2-3 mm long, shortly bifid. Seeds ovoid, 4-5 x 3.5 x 3 mm, smooth, ± shiny, pale grey, with an adpressed hemispherical caruncle.

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

Holotype: Tibet, Gossain Than, 28° 22' N, 85° 50' E, August 1821, Wallich 7696A (K-WALL).

Distribution: Afghanistan, Tibet, Nepal, Sikkim, ? Assam. In stony ground on old moraines, in open meadows and on grassy slopes and hillsides, in juniper scrub and at the limit of trees; 8000'/2440 m. - 12000'/3600 m.

Dr. G.M. Giles 254, from the Dorech Pass, Gilgit, at 12-13000', coll. 1885, 1886 or 1887, may be referable to this species, but is too immature to be sure.