Annual, 1-3 cm high, simple, greenish herb. Stem glabrous, terminating into a solitary flower. Basal leaves indistinctly rosulate, 1-nerved, 0.1-0.3 x 0.05-0.2 cm, ovate-obovate, entire, margin cartilagnous, acuminate, slightly carinate in apical portion, cauline leaves 0.2-0.45 x 0.1-0.25 cm, ovate-spathulate, entire, margin subcartilaginous, acuminate with winged or carinate mid-viin. Inflorescence terminal. Flowers solitary, 0.5-1.2 cm long, tubular. Calyx ± winged, tube 0.3-0.6 cm long, lobes 0.1-0.25 x 0.04-006 cm, lanceolate, entire, marginate, margin sub cartilaginous, acute-acuminate. Corolla 0.6-1.2 cm long, tube 0.4-0.8 cm long, lobes 0.15-0.4 x 0.05-0.1 cm, lanceolate, entire, obtuse-subacute. Plicae minute, lanceolate, bilobed, each lobe acute-acuminate. Stamens 5, filament filiform, attached at or near middle, anthers elliptic or lanceolate, dorsifixed, bilobed. Ovary superior, 0.5-0.8 x 0.05-0.15 cm, elliptic-lanceolate, gynophore not prominent, style small, stigma prominent, bilobed, papillose. Nectaries situated at the base of ovary. Capsule subexserted, elliptic, 0.6-1.0 x 0.1-0.2 cm, seeds numerous, small, oval, striated.

Fl. Per.: July-August.

Holotype: Western Tibet, Karakorum, Nubra, alt. 17000 ft., Thomson s.n. (K).

B-8 Baltistan: Thalle la, 10000 ft., 13.8.1940, R.R. Stewart 20626 B (NY).

Distribution: Kashmir, Karakorums, Tibet.

H. Smith has treated Gentianodes clarkei Kusn. [= Gentianodes clarkei (Kusn.) Omer] as conspecific to Gentiana prostrate Haenke [= Ciminalis prostrate (Haenke) Love & Love] and also indicated that the type specimen is a mixture of Gentiana prostrate Haenke [= Ciminalis prostrate (Haenke) Love & Love] and Gentiana pygmaea Regel & Schmalh. [= Aliopsis pygmaea (Regel & Schmalh.) Omer & Qaiser]. However, Ciminalls prostrate (Haenke) Love & Lave bears basifixed anthers, wh ereas Gentianodes clarkei (Kusn.) Omer bears the dorsifixed anthers. The type sheet contains only one specimen of Aliopsis pygrnaea (Regel & Schmalh.) Omer & Qaiser. T.Thomson collected the type specimen of Gentians thomsoni Clarke [=Aliopsis pygmaea (Regel & Schmalh.) Omer & Qaiser] and Gentianodes clarkei (Kusn.) Omer from the same locality. It is quite possible that the specimens of the two species got mixed up and caused confusion.

Thus the two species should be treated independently.