Annual, biennial, subprostrate-erect, up to 8.0 cm long, branched, green herb without the main stem, diffusely to sparsely branched from the base, branches terminating in flower. Basal leaves indistinctly rosulate, slightly longer than cauline, 0.15-1.0 x 0.1-0.7 cm, ovate-obovate, orbicular, spathulate, acute-apiculate, cartilaginous, entire, very slightly dentate, cauline leaves 0.1-0.8 x 0.05-0.6 cm, ovate-obovate or spathulate, mucronate, reflexed tips, margin cartilaginous, entire, connate with opposite leaf at base with margin becoming slightly papillate. Inflorescence solitary, terminal. Flowers subsessile, enclosed by two terminal leaves, 0.8-12 cm long, infundibuliform. Calyx 03-0.9 cm long, tube double the size of the lobes, 0.4-0.65 cm long, veins running to the base of the tube, lobes 02-0.4 x 0.03-0.08 cm, lanceolate-ovate, acuminate, marginate, margin cartilaginous, sinuses between lobes obtuse. Corolla 0.7-1.2 cm long, tube double the size of the lobes, lobes 0.1-0.4 x 0.05-0.3 cm, lanceolate, acuminate-apiculate, entire, apex decurved. Plicae 0.025-0.1 x 0.01- 0.05 cm, lanceolate-obovate, bibbed or not, lobes equal. Stamens 5, filaments inserted below the middle, filiform, anthers basifixed, slightly sagittate, bibbed, slightly cordate at base, reaching the middle of the corolla tube. Ovary 0.5-0.8 x 0.1-0.15 cm, oblanceolate, with distinct style and not distinct stigma. Nectaries 4 at the base of ovary. Capsule obovate, subexserted, seeds numerous, small, elliptic-oval, striated.

Type: Described from several specimens belonging to Siberia, Mongolia, China boreali, Thibet and Himalaya based on the collections of Martjanow, Turczaninow, Karo, Vlassow, Radde, Maximowicz (LE-Photo!), Czekanowsky (LE-Photo!), Potanin (K!), Przewalsky (K!), Stolicszka, Schlagintwiet, Hooker et Thomson (K!).

B-8 W. Tibet: from Hemis, Ladak to (?) Srabru ? , 10/ 42, Comm. Dr. Brandis s.n. (K), Hemis nullah, 12500 ft., 4-7-1941, Ludlow & Sherriff 8462 (BM), Kashmir: Hemis, Ladakh in meadow along stream, 11000 ft., 6-8-1931, Koelz 2552 (NY, RAW), Rhizong river, Indus tributary, between Leh & Khalatse, Ladakh, Billies & Leonard 6886 (K), Rungdum, 50 m of Zuildo, Ladakh, 1980, Southampton university 131 (K), Zasker, 11000 ft., 17-7-1981, Southampton University botanical expedition 65 (BM), Baltistan: Ghondkoro glacier, 13500 ft., 14-7-1955, E.Nasir & Webster 6119 (RAW), Satpara lake, 10000 ft., 25.6.1955, Nasir & Webster (RAW), Ladak: Teggur, Nubra valley, 10400 ft., 13.7.1929, Ludlow 534a (BM), Warshi, 11500 ft., 24 .7.1947, Schoenberg 11 (BM).

Distribution: Siberia, Central Asia, Pakistan (Himalaya, Karakorum), Kashmir, India, Nepal, Tibet and China.

A western Irano-Turanian element, which penetrates into Sino-Japanese region and extends up to Nepal through Kashmir.

Grossheim (l.c.) has erroneously mentioned that the type is based upon a specimen from Siberia present in LE. As evident from the original description, the type is not based on a single specimen but on several speecimens (12 syntypes) from Siberia, Mongolia, China, Thibet (Tibet), and Himalayas present in LE. There are no indications that he had designated a lectotype.