Annual, erect, 1-7 (-8) cm high, green coloured herb. Stem glandular pubescent, fasciculately branched from base. Basal leaves 0.3-1.0 x 0.2-0.3 cm, ovate-broadly ovate, carinate, mucronate, with scabrid margin; cauline leaves smaller than basal leaves, 0.2-0.6 x 0.10-0.3 cm, ovate-spathulate, mucronate, with a distinct white margin, scabrous, carinate on dorsal surface. Inflorescence borne on termination of branches (as a rule), solitary. Flowers up to 1.0 cm long. Calyx 0.4-0.7 cm long, dark green in colour; tube 0.25-0.5 cm long; lobes 0.1-0.25 x 0.1-0.2 cm, subreflexed, ovate-broadly ovate, mucronate, with white margin, scabrid, sinuses between lobe obtuse. Corolla 0.7-0.9 cm long; tube 0.6-0.75 cm long, blue with yellow throat, lobes 0.1-0.15 x 0.075-0.125 cm, ovate, mucronate, entire, streaked; plicae smaller than lobes, lanceolate-narrowly ovate, bibbed, lobes unequal. Stamens 5, filaments running down to base but adnate to corolla tube in middle, filiform till free, then slightly flat; anthers basifixed, 2-lobed. Ovary obovate-oblong, up to 0.6 x 0.1-0.2 cm, style 0.025-0.05 mm long, stigma bibbed, papillose. Nectaries at base of ovary, arranged angularly, one at each angle; slightly protruded and circular. Capsule long stipitate, exserted, obovate, marginate, dehiscence first by a pore and later septicidally; 0.4-0.7 x 0.1-0.3 cm. Seeds numerous in each capsule, minute, oval-obovate, distinctly reticulate.

Type: Described from Transbaikalia C. Koch (B!).

A-6 Chitral: village Passum, 6 km E. of Mastuj, c. 2500 m, 25.6.1987, Ghafoor & Omer 3037 (KUH), c.15 km from Mastuj on way to Laspur & Shandur pass, c.2400 m, 26.6.1987, Ghafoor & Omer 3099 p.p. (KUH), Laspur Gol, village Harchin, c. 20 km from Mastuj on way to Laspur, c.2600 m, 26.6.1987, Ghafoor & Omer 3129 (KUH), Yarkhun Gol, c. 16 km from Mastuj on way to Brep, c.2700 m, Ghafoor & Omer 3216 (KUH), Mastuj, 7500 ft., 18.5.1958, Stainton 2475 (BM, E), Chitral-Mastuj track, Sanoghar, 7000 ft., 17.5.1958, Stainton 2466 (BM, E), A-7 Gilgit: N. of Hindukush, Giks s.n. (E), Nalter, ± 9800 ft., 3.6.1982, Omer 46 (KUH), In immediate neighbourhood of Nagyr town, 7700 ft., Conway 64 : 66 (K), Bhagroat, c. 25 miles from Gilgit 273.1983, Omer, Nazimuddin and Wahid 107'2 (KUH), B-8 Baltistan: Skardo, 7650 ft., 2.8.1876, Clarke 29941 (K), Kachura lake, 25.5.1983, Omer, Nazimuddin and Wahid 1030, 1048 (KUH), Along river Indus, Mehdiabad on way to Parkutta, 23.5.1983, Omer, Nazimuddin and Wahid 861 (KUH), Thalle, 203.1983, Omer, Nazimuddin and Wahid 925, 930 (KUH), Choogo, 2800 m , 7.5.1952, Hartmann 1076 (RAW), Turmih nullah, 9000 ft., 23.5.1928, Ludlow 301 (BM), Ladak, Taggur, Nubra valley, 10400 ft., 13.7.1929, Ludlow 534 (BM), Ladakh, Stoic, 3352 m, 1976, Maxwell 45 (E).

Distribution: Central Asia (Mongolia), Pakistan (Chitral-Baltistan, Kashmir), China-Tibet.

An Irano-Turanian element, which extends northwards to Mongolia and eastwards to far east till China.

Ciminalis squarrosa (Ledeb.) Zuyev is one of the few taxa in the genus Ciminalis Adans. which has glandular hairs. The only other species which possesses glandular hairs is Ciminalis capitata (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) Omer, which differs from Ciminalis squarrosa (Ledeb.) Zuyev in general habit and inflorescence.