YASIN J. NASIR

Perennial 10-21 cm tall, emitting fibrous roots. Basal leaves petiolate, ± oblanceolate (including petiole), 30-60 x 5-10 mm. Flowers in scorpioid cymes. Calyx 3-4 mm long; lobes linear-obtuse. Corolla ± cylindical, tube c. 9 mm long; lobes c. 2.4 mm long, obtuse. Throat scales bibbed, broader than long. Filaments 1.3-1.5 mm long; anthers 1.2 mm long, oblong, subexserted from the throat of corolla.

Type: Kurram: up the Shendtoi vy., 11,000', near water, Aitchison 192 in 1880! (BM).

Distribution: Probably endemic.

Only known from the single type gathering. The species closely resembles Pseudomertensia echioides and Pseudomertensia moltkioides in habit. From both it differs in the longer filaments (1.3-1.5 mm long) which exceed anther length and obtuse corolla lobes. From Pseudomertensia echioides it also differs in the throat scales which are fairly well-developed.

In the type specimen, the size of corolla lobes in Pseudomertensia anjumiae is appreciably larger (c. 2.4 mm), than what Kazmi states (l.c. 378, in nota: 1.5 mm long). Further collection and study might prove that Pseudomertensia anjumiae is only a variant of either of the above mentioned species.