Perennial, caespitose herb, 15-30 (-40) cm tall, erect; rootstock 1-1.5 cm thick, woody, densely covered with withered leaf bases, elongated. Radical leaves densely rosulate, usually bipinnatisect, 5-15 cm long, 2.5-5 cm borad, ± hairy with simple rarely forked hairs; petiole 2-5 cm long with ± sheathing base; cauline leaves rare, few, distant, much smaller, deeply dissected to linear; ultimate lobes short, linear or oblong, usually less than 1 cm long, and 1-1.5 mm broad. Ra¬cemes apparently scapose, elongated, flowering above only, 20-30-flowered, on each branch, ebracteate, up to c. 5 cm long in fruit (fruiting portion only) and becoming lax. Flowers 4-5 mm across, pale yellow or yellowish-white; pedicel 5-10 (-12) mm long in fruit, filiform ascending, ± hairy. Sepals 2-3 mm long, c. 1.5 mm broad, oblong, obtuse. Petals 4-5.5 mm long, c. 2 mm broad, spathulate with margin obscurely toothed, specially above. Stamens c. 2.5:3 mm long; anthers c. 1 mm long. Siliculae suborbicular, laterally very compressed, 8-10 (-12) mm long, 7-10 (-12) mm broad (excluding c. 2 mm long style), glabrous, apex ± emarginate; valves membranous, reticulately veined, not winged; septum only c. 1 mm broad, hyaline; seed 1 in each locule, 4-5 mm long, 2 mm broad, ovate-oblong, brown.

Fl. Per.: April-June.

Type: Afghanistan, Siah sung, Griffith (K).

Distribution: Afghanistan, Pakistan, C. Asia and Himalayas.

Some of Stainton's gatherings from Chitral, cited above, have no fruits, but have very thick slender, root stock (1.5-2 cm broad) and very congested inflorescence. They may prove to be a new taxon with more gatherings and knowledge of the species.