Small, annual, green, up to 4.0 cm high herb. Stem branched, glabrous. Basal leaves rosulate, 0.5-1.0 x 0.3-0.65 cm, ovate-broadly ovate, margin hyaline-cartilaginous, entire, mucronate, uninerved, connate at base. Cauline leaves 0.3-0.6 x 0.2-0.4 (-0.5) cm, ovate, margin cartilaginous, entire, long acuminate or cuspidate, slightly carinate, sometimes recurved. Inflorescence terminal, aggregate. Flowers campanulate, sessile, 0.5-0.9 (-1.0) cm long. Calyx 0.4-0.8 cm long, tube 0.3-0.6 cm long, lobes 0.1-0.25 x 0.09-0.15 cm, ovate, margin cartilaginous, entire, acute-acuminate, sinuses between the lobes, acute. Corolla 0.5-0.8 (-1.0) cm long, blue, tube more than double the length of lobes, 0.3-0.6 cm long, lobes 0.1-0.3 x 0.075-0.15 cm, ovate, entire, obtuse, acute, streaked, plicae small, half the size of corolla lobes, entire, obtuse-acute. Stamens 5, filaments filiform, winged at base, adnate in middle of corolla anthers dorsifixed, sagittate, bibbed Ovary 0.3-0.6 x 0.1-0.3 cm, oblanceolate, stipitate, style slender, stigma bibbed, half coiled at maturity. Nectaries at base of ovary. Capsule stipitate, exserted, 0.5-0.8 x 0.2-0.4 cm, obovate, many seeded. Seeds small, ovoid, reticulate.

Fl. Per.: April-July.

Type: Himalaya, Kumaon, Champwa, 12000 ft., R. Strachey and I.E. Winter-bottom s.n. (Iso-K 1).

A-6 Chitral: Bombrait Gol, Kafiristan, c.1800 m, 30.6.1987, Ghafoor & Omer 3296 (KUH), B-7 Swat, c. 1 km from Gabral on way to Utrore, c. 3000m, 3.7.1987, Ghafoor & Omer 3453 (KUH), B-8 Gilgit: near Chinrapani, Raikot, April, 1881, Coll. Ignot. s.n. (E), Rattu-Gurikot, ± 8000 ft., 25.5.1954, Schmid 1780 (RAW), Rama, 6.5 miles from Astore, 29.6.1982, Omer 354 (KUH), Rama rest house, ± 10000 ft., 30.8.1988, Omer & Qaiser 2342 (KUH), Between Rama and Rama lake, ± 12000 ft., 30.8.1988, Omer & Qaiser 2395, 2395 (KUH), Rama valley, 10400 ft., 25.7. 1967, Lankaster & Prescot TEL 1202 (BM), Kashmir: Thajiwas, c. 10000 ft., 7.6.1971, Robson 2018 (BM), Gulmarg, 9000 ft., May 1969, Mehra 4 (K), Kajnaj Range, 7-8000 ft., 20.5.1892, Duthie 11137 (K), Baltistan, Kachura lake, 25.5.1983, Omer et al. 1034, 1045 (KUH), Karakorum glaciers, near Gargo, Bargo valley, 1892, Conway s.n. (CAL).

Distribution: Himalayas.

A sino Japanese element extending westwardly up til Chitral.

Schiman-Czeika in Rech. f. (1967) has recorded this species from Flora Iranica region. She cited two specimens from Pakistan (Wendelbo s.n. [0!], and Rechinger 30643 [W!,K!]). This seems to be based on the misidentification as both the specimens belong to Gentianodes argentea (Royle ex D. Don) Omer et al.