Orobium Reichenb.
Small perennial herbs, branched from the base, glabrous or sparsely hairy with simple or branched hairs. Leaves simple, usually spathulate-oblong, lower stalked, upper sessile, often bearing flowers in their axils, glabrous, usually entire, subfleshy. Racemes short, bracteate at least below. Flowers very small, white or pale lilac; pedicels thin, ascending or suberect in fruit. Sepals erect, not saccate at base. Petals c. twice as long as the sepals, obovate-oblong, apex subemarginate. Stamens 6; filaments linear; anthers short, ovoid or subreniform. Lateral nectar glands semiannular, open towards the inner side; middle glands present, narrow, torose, joining the laterals. Ovary oblong-elliptic or ovate-oblong, 6-12-ovuled; style short with depressed stigma. Siliculae ovate-oblong or elliptic-oblong, flattened or subcompressed, acute, glabrous; valves with a distinct mid-vein; septum incomplete or wanting, sometimes complete; seeds 2-seriate, ovate, few, not mucilaginous when wet; radicle incumbent.
3 or 4 species in C. Asia, Tibet and Himalayas; only 1 found in our area.
Doubtfully distinct from Braya Sternb. & Hoppe, from which it is distinguished by its leafy stem, presence of middle nectar glands and usually aseptate fruits. It was first based on a single species, Aphragmus escholtzianus Andrz. and later Schulz (in Engler, l.c.) added 2 more species to it. Schulz (in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berl. 9: 1058. 1927) published another species, Aphragmus himalaicus which was conspecific with Aphragmus obscurus (Dunn) Schulz, (he himself corrected this mistake in Fedde, Repert. 31 :330. 1933), but it was transferred to Lignariella Beahni by Jafri (in Candollea 134. 1957). Schulz in the same paper published another species, Aphragmus stewartii, which was conspecific with B. oxycarpa Hook. f. & Thoms., but its correct place. was under Aphragmus; hence it was transferred to that genus as Aphragmus oxycarpus (Hook.f. & Thoms.) Jafri (in Notes Roy. Bot. Edin. 22: 96. 1956). This species has shown septate to aseptate condition and thus relaxing the condition of aseptate fruits in Aphragums. However, further studies are needed with adequate material to finally decide the status of this genus.
