YASIN J. NASIR

Annual herb 9-40 cm or more tall. Stem (-s) branched from base, ascending, pubescent hairy, with shorter adpressed hairs mixed with longer stout erect ones up to 1.5 mm long; the latter usually arising from a swollen base. Leaves oblanceolate to lanceolate. Basal and cauline leaves 35-100 x 5-15 mm, hairs similar to those on stem and branches. Petiole of cauline and basal leaves winged. Inflorescence elongated in fruit, short otherwise. Flowers subsessile. Pedicels pubescent, up to 4 mm in fruit. Calyx 6-7 mm long, up to 10 mm in fruit, dense hairy; lobes linear. Corolla creamy white, tube 5-6 mm long, glabrous; limb 6-7 mm broad; lobes obtuse-crenulate, throat with minute group of hairs (in twos) Anthers c. 1.8 mm long, narrow oblong, stigma obscurely bibbed. Nutlets c. 5 mm long, transversely ovoid, back rugulose, dark brown-black, basal ring thickened c. 0.6 mm high, longitudinally denticulate.

Fl. Per.: March-April.

Type: N. W. India: ad Malwa & Pentapotamia Edgeworth s.n. (K).

Distribution: Pakistan, India.

Widely distributed. Found as a weed in the plains and hills up to 1800 m.