Graellsia chitralensis Illustration Credit: Shaukat & Azmat

Perennial, subcaespitose herbs with somewhat woody base, glabrous; shoots very sparsely leaved or aphyllous. Radical leaves long petioled with ovate to reniform blade, broadly sinuate-toothed to almost entire; cauline leaves if present, small linear, sessile or subsessile. Racemes ebracteate, simple or branched, usually subcorymbose, short, slightly increasing in length in fruit, rarely flexuose. Flowers small, white; pedicels filiform, flexuose, often spreading or deflexed, rarely short and somewhat thickened. Sepals subequal, not saccate. Petals about twice as long as the sepals, obovate-orbicular, short clawed, apex rounded. Stamens 6, filaments broadened but not appendaged; anthers short, obtuse. Lateral nectar glands semi-annular, open towards the outer side; middle glands present, joining the laterals. Ovary elliptic, 4-12 (or more) -ovuled, shortly stipitate; style short or long with depressed stigma. Siliculae elliptic, glabrous, usually broadly septate (rarely septum windowed or absent), indehiscent to dehiscent; seeds 1 to few, not winged or margined; radicle incumbent.

About 5 Asiatic species; only 1 in our area.

Lower Taxon

• Graellsia chitralensis O.E. Schulz