Muqarrab Shah

A small, perennial herb. Rootstock somewhat conical, divided, dark brown. Flowering stem 2-9 cm, prostrate, naked, very slender, sparsely pilose to glabrescent. Leaves few, mostly basal, polystichous, ternate, petioles 1.5-3.0 cm long, sparsely pilose to glabrous. Basal stipules broadly ovate, subacute, membranous, upper purplish green, ovate and entire. Leaflets, 6-14 x 5-12 mm, broadly obovate-cuneat, serrate with ovate obtuse teeth, sparsley pilose to glabrous on either side. Flowers 2-4, small, 9-15 mm diam., pale yellow, pedicels c. 1 cm long, pilose. Calyces sparsely pilose, outer elliptic-ovate blunt, inner ovate acute. Petals 4-5 mm long, emarginate. Stamens about 20. Carpels numerous, style very small, 0.6-0.7 mm, subterminal, clavate.

A-7 Chitral Dist., Barum Gol, 3,600 m, 26-6-1950, P. Wendelbo (O, A-8 Gilgit Agency, Gheresa glacier, base camp, 13 miles E of Nagar, 15,580 ft, damp earthy places, lateral moraine, flowers yellow, O. Polunin 6156 (BM, G), Hispar glacier, above Kanibasar glacier, 15,000 ft, R. Scott Russell 1584 (BM), B-8 Kashmir, Burgi La, C.B. Clarke 29852 (BM), Morpo La Dras, ± 15,000 ft, R.R. Stewart 22283 (US), Jarshing Kamnhumi, Nanga Parbat, 4,200 m., C. Troll 7509 (W), Minapin glacier, north facing slope, grazed intensively, 11,500 ft, Lloyd & Megan 33 (BM), Baltistan, Laskam, 4,540 m, Hans Hartmann 810 (Z), Chongra Valley, W of Astor, 35 20 N, 75 50 E, ± 14,000 ft, trailing herb with red stem up to 1’, flowers yellow, G. E. Larberto & Tas Pearsol 1520 (BM).

Distribution: Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan (Alatau, Sayak mountains), N. Pakistan and India (Himachal Pradesh, Lahul).