M. QAISER

A large shrubby tree, 2-5 m tall with brownish to reddish brown bark, glabrous. Leaves ovate to oblong ovate, sessile, sub-amplexicaul, narrowly scarious margined, acute 1.2 (-2.5) mm long, c. 0.5 mm broad. Racemes usually vernal, simple, lateral, loose, 1.5-4 cm long, 3.4 (-5) mm broad; peduncle 0.5-1 cm long, sparsely covered with bract-like scales at the base. Bracts 1 mm long, 0.5 mm broad, upper bract slightly larger, boat shaped, diaphanous, acute, somewhat denticulate at the margin, pedicel 1-1.25 (-1.5) mm long. Flowers tetramerous, white. Sepals 1-1.25 (-1.5) mm long, 0.5-0.75 mm broad, ovate to trullate-ovate, the outer 2 fused at base and somewhat keeled, obtuse, inner 2 acute, more or less denticulate with scarious margin. Petals free, obovate, elliptic rarely elliptic-ovate, 1-1.5 mm long, 0.75 mm broad. Stamens 4, filaments filiform, 1.5 mm long, confluent with the discal lobes, disc confluent epilophic to epilophic; anthers cordate, somewhat apiculate, insertion peridiscal. Styles 3, clavate, ovary stipitate, c. 2 mm long. Capsule 4-5 mm long, c. 1 mm broad.

Fl. Per.: April.

Holotype: Turkistania, dominium Buchara, in locis arenoso-salsis Pr. Pag. Farab, ad fl. Amu-Darya, 1.3.1903, Androssow 1317 (LE n.v.); Iso. (G).

Distribution: Russia, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.