Annual-biennial, 6-30 cm high, green herb. Stem glabrous, somewhat shiny, simple, very rarely branches arising from base or above. Basal leaves 0.8-2.5 x 0.4-1.25 cm, obovate, entire, obtuse. Cauline leaves 0.9-3.5 x 0.5-1.5 cm, elliptic-lanceolate, obtuse, secondary branches arising from axils of cauline leaves. Inflorescence cymose in axils. Flowers tetramerous, 0.5-1.8 cm long, campanulate, peduculate, peduncles 0.2-4.5 cm long, filiform. Calyx split to the base, tube absent or very small, 0.1 cm long, 4-lobed, lobes unequal, smallest lobe: 0.3-0.45 x 0.07-0.1 cm, linear-narrowly lanceolate, entire, acute-acuminate, second lobe medium sized, 0.4-0.5 x 0.075-0.1 cm, the other two equal and biggest, 0.5-0.65 x 0.075-0.125 cm. Corolla 0.5-1.8 cm long, tube 0.3-1.25 cm long, lobes 0.2-0.6 x 0.125-0.175 cm, lanceolate, entire, subacute-acute, fimbriate, fimbriae unequal, linear, acute. Nectaries at base of corolla tube. Stamens 4, filaments filiform, adnate in middle of corolla tube, anthers dorsifixed, 2-lobed, sagittate. Ovary up to 1.5 cm long, elliptic, shortly stalked, stigma bilobed, sessile. Capsule subexserted, up to 1.8 cm long, elliptic. Seeds numerous, light brown, globose, finely reticulated.

Fl. Per.: July-September.

Type: Habitat ad sinum Kotzebuensem Americae borealis, ubilecta, Chamisso et Eschscholtz (LE).

A-7 Gilgit: Naltar valley, 11000 ft., 23.7.1954, Stewart 26516 (BM, RAW), id., 11-12000 ft., 4.8.1892, Duthie 12415 (BM), Minapin glacier, Nagar state, 10000 ft., 1.8.1961, Lloyd & Megan 23 (BM), Gilgit, 74 30' S, 36 5' N, 15000 ft., 12.8.1961, Flower-Ellis R-7 (K), B-7 Gilgit-Hazara: 8 km from Babusar village on way to Babusar top, 5.9.1988, Omer & Qaiser 2648 (KUH), B-8 Kashmir: Cachemire, Imit, 3600 m, 2-3.8.1954, Schmid 2082 (BM, RAW), East of Sekambaris glacier, 13000 ft., 8.8.1939, Scott-Russel 1547 (BM), Yengutsa glacier, 13000 ft., south of Hispar village, 23.8.1960, Polunin 6382 (BM), Baltistan: above Skardo, 10000 ft., 16.8.1936, Koelz 9640 (NA), Skardo to Satpar valley (South of Skardo), 2.9.1856, Schlagintweit 5548 (E), Thalle La to Bagmaharal, 30.8.1856, Schlagintweit 5935 (BM), Karpuchu nala, 11-12000 ft., 9.7.1892, Duthie 11943 (E), Shigar Nulla, 10000 ft., 22.8.1936, Koelz 9708 (NA).

Distribution: Pakistan (Kashmir, Hazara, Gilgit, and Baltistan) and America (?).

In Comastoma borealis (Bunge) Ho, the flowers are very shortly pedunculate, wh ereas the flowers are borne on long peduncles in Comastoma tenellum (Rottb.) Toyokuni. The flowers are pentamerous and long pedunculate in Comastoma tenellum (Rottb.) Toyokuni.