YASIN J. NASIR

An erect perennial herb up to 55 cm. Stems several, usually branched, antrorsely hairy. Shorter hairs up to 0.5 mm long, thin, intermixed with longer stiff hairs up to 1.5 mm long, with a tuberculate base. Basal leaves deciduous. Cauline leaves numerous, 10-30 x 2-3.5 mm, linear to linear-lanceolate, antrorsely hairy with both long and short hairs; longer stiff hairs fewer on undersurface. Inflorescence usually terminal, compact, elongating up to 6 cm in fruit. Bracts leaf-like but smaller. Pedicels 3-5 mm long, densely hairy, up to 8 mm in fruit. Calyx densely hairy, 5-partite into linear lobes; 9-11 mm long. Corolla blue, campanulate; slightly exceeding calyx length, tube antrorsely pubescent to the outside; inside villous c. 2 mm from the base; lobes 1-2 mm broad, obtuse, margin ± revolute. Filaments attached c. 2 mm from the corolla base, villous at the base, ± 6.5 mm long; anthers 9-10 mm long, exserted for more than half their length, adnate laterally to form a tubular structure; sterile connectives c. 1-1.5 mm long. Nectary villous, up to 0.3 mm high, lobular. Style 10-13 mm long, glabrous. Nutlets ± 2.7 mm long, minutely rugose, shiny.

Fl. Per.: August-September.

Type: Without locality, Hb. late E. India Company, Falconer s.n. (GH).

Distribution: Pakistan (Hazara), Kashmir, N.W. India.

A cliff or rock plant with pale blue flowers. Found up to 3000 m.