Perennial, erect-suberect, up to 15 cm high herb. Intemodes purplish. Basal leaves rosulate, 2.5-43 x 03-1.0 cm, linear-obovate or oblong, subobtuse-acute, slightly dentate, 1-nerved, cauline leaves 2.0-33 (-4.0) x 0.2-0.5 cm, linear-oblong or spathulate, acute, entire-very slightly dentate, connate at base with opposing leaf thus forming a 5-7 mm long tube. Flowers campanulate, pedicellate, up to 5.0 cm long, 1-2 in each terminal axil. Calyx 13-23 cm long, 5-lobed, tube longer than lobes, 1.0-13 cm long, lobes 0.6-0.9 x 0.2-0.35 cm, subequal, linear, acuminate, dentate(-entire). Corolla 4.0-4.75 cm long, sky blue, tube longer than lobes, 3-3.5 cm long, lobes 5, subequal, 0.8-1.25 x 0.4-0.9 cm, lanceolate, acute-acuminate, entire, plicae small, equal, acute, dentate, 1/3 the length of corolla lobes. Stamens 5, filaments filiform, adnate below the middle, anthers dorsifixed, elongated, bibbed. Ovary stipitate, 1.4-1.8 x 0.25-0.5(-0.75) cm, narrowly lanceolate, style present but very short, stigma linear. Capsule not seen.

Fl. Per.: September-October.

Type: N. Waziristan, Alexandra ridge, 7800 ft., Capt. D. G. Lowndes 2430 (BLATT).

C-5 South Waziristan: Badder, Oct. 1978, Syed Ayub Shah Gaillani s.n. (KUH).

Distribution: Endemic to Waziristan in Pakistan and Afghanistan (?).

R.R. Stewart (l.c.) has allied Gentianodes lowndesii (Blatt.) Omer et al. to Gentianodes kurroo (Royle) Omer et al. But both seem to be quite unrelated to each other. Gentianodes lowndesii (Blatt.) Omer et al. is much smaller plant with numerous cauline leaves, the calyx tube is ± equal or shorter than lobes and the anthers are subequal in length. However, the flowering periods of the two taxa seem to correspond with each other but the geographical distribution of the two taxa is different as Gentianodes lowndesii (Blatter) Omer et al. is a central Asian element wh ereas Gentianodes kurroo (Royle) Omer et al. is a Sino-Japanese element.