S. NAZIMUDDIN AND M. QAISER

Prostrate or climbing herb. Stem quadrangular, angles scabrid. Leaves 2-4 in a whorl, 2-6 x 1-2.5 cm, membranous, one pair larger than the other, elliptic-ovate or obovate, glabrous, margins minutely scabridulous, apex rounded or ± acute-apiculate, lateral nerves obscure, petiole short, 3-7 mm long, stipules absent or leafy. Inflorescence of axillary and terminal paniculate cymes; trichotomously branched, few-flowered, peduncle 6-10 cm long. Flowers bracteate, 3-4 mm in diameter, bracts in pair, leafy, ± sessile, ovate-elliptic, margin prickly, 5-6 x 2-4 mm; pedicel c. 4 mm long. Calyx-tube globose. Corolla 5-lobed, lobes c. 3 mm long, oblong, acute or apiculate, tube ± absent Stamens 5, situated in the throat of the corolla, filaments short, c. 0.5 mm long; anthers oblong, c. 1 mm long, dorsifixed. Disc annular. Ovary 2-loculed; styles 2, sometimes unequal, 0.5-0.75 mm, united, more than half the length; stigma globose; ovary ovoid. Fruit 4-5 mm long, didymous or globose by suppression of one carpel. Seeds curved.

Type: Klotzch, l.c., t 76 b & c; (Deb & Malick, l.c).

Distribution: Western Himalayas, Kunawar, Kashmir, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

This species seems to be rather rare or undercollected in our area.