Annual-biennial, erect, 2-8 cm long, glabrous herb. Stem robust, angled or .canaliculate, mostly simple, branched above, branches simple. Basal leaves longer than cauline leaves, 1.5-4.0 x 0.75-1.75 cm, ovate, margin cartilaginous, entire, recurved, acute-mucronate, sessile, univeined, lower cauline leaves laxly arranged on stem, 0.6-1.75 x 0.4-0.7 cm, upper congested 0.4-0.9 x 0.4-0.75 cm, obovate, margin entire, slightly papillate at base, recurved, carinate, acuminate-cuspidate. Inflorescence densely cl ustered terminal cynics. Flowers 0.75-2.0 cm long, campanulate, pedicellate. Calyx 0.8-1.30 cm long, semitransparent, tube, 0.5-1.25 cm long, lobes 0.1-0.4 x 0.05-0.7 cm, ovate, margin hyaline, dark green in centre, acuminate, sinuses between lobes obtuse. Corolla blue, 0.75-1.75 cm long, tube double the length of lobes, fimbriate, fimbriae linear-Worm, acute, above the anthers, exserted, tube up to 1.5 cm long, streaked, lobes 0.15-0.25 x 0.075-0.15 cm, ovate-obovate, entire, acute, plicate, plicae oblanceolate-obovate, smaller than corolla lobes, wavy. Stamens 5, filaments running down to base, adnate at one third the length of corolla tube, anthers versatile, bibbed. Ovary 0.2-0.5 x 0.1-0.15 cm, oblanceolate-lanceolate, stipitate, nectaries at base of ovary, style long, stigma bibbed, coiled, slightly papillose. Capsule oblanceolate, subexserted-exserted, stalked, seeds small, many, ovoid, reticulate.

Fl. Per.: May-September.

Type: Regno Tubetano superiori, Hugel (W!).

B-8 Kashmir: Bedori, ± 10-12000 ft., 2.7.1952, R.R Stewart & E. Nasir 24021 (RAW), Apharwat, 13000 ft., 11.8.1919, Rich 1250 (K), id., 12700 ft., 12.9.1933, Venning K 111 (K), Gulmarg, 9000 ft., 19.7.1891, Gam nie s.n. (K), id., 11000 ft., Rich 1261 (K), id., 8500 ft., Aitchison 8 (K), id., 9/1875, Herb.Royle (K), near Gulmarg, 8-9000 ft., 19.5.1892, Duthie s.n. (K), Aliabad pass, ± 8000 ft., Stewart 12078 (K), above Gulmarg, 11-12000 ft., 2.6.1892, Duthie 11349 (0), Khillanmarg, 10000 ft., 3.6.1933, Venning K 5 (K), Kala-marg, near Gulmarg, 3200 m, 1.7.1976, Billiet & Leonard 6747 (K), Himalaya: boreo occidentalis, 8-10000 ped., Thomson s.n. (0), id., 3 & 4, 6.1848, Thomson s.n. p.p. (K), Cachemyr: Sir Sanjal ad Hyderabad, alt. 2681 m, Jacquemont (P).

Distribution: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Tibet.

An Irano Turanian element which is distributed in Karakorums and Himalayas. Apart from Pakistan and Kashmir, it also occurs in Afghanistan (Yarkhund), India (Lahul & Chamba Himalayas) and Tibet.

Closely related to Qaisera carinata (D.Don) Omer, but differs on the basis of pedicellate flowers, robust stem, broadly ovate leaves and ovate-broadly ovate, hyaline margined calyx.