Perennial, 20-70 cm tall, erect, usually with a single flowering stem, ± hairy with simple, forked or branched hairs, often hispid below and less hairy above. Basal leaves rosulate, often large, 5-15 cm long, 1-3 cm broad, obovate-oblong or oblanceolate, stalked, often dentate with short obtuse teeth, rarely si¬nuate-toothed, apex rounded or obtuse; cauline leaves distant, sessile, ovate to ovate-oblong, (1-) 1.5-4 (-6) cm long, 0.5-3 cm broad, amplexicaul (bases often apparently slightly auricled), slightly toothed to entire; all leaves ± hispid with branched or forked hairs. Racemes (15-) 20-40-flowered, up to 25 cm long in fruit. Flowers (5-) 8-10 mm across, white; pedicels up to 15 mm long, spreading, glabrous. Sepals 4-6 mm long. Petals 7-10 mm long, 2-3.5 mm broad. Stamens 3-4:5-6 mm long. Siliquae 30-60 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad, linear compressed, usually spreading on horizontal pedicels, acute, glabrous; valves with a distinct mid-vein; style 1-1.5 mm long with a depressed, minute stigma; seeds many in each locule, c. 1 mm long, margined.

Fl. Per.: May -July.

Type: N.W. Himalaya, Garhwal, Edgeworth (K).

Distribution: N.W. Himalayas, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

A very polymorphic species, specially in size, form of leaf, length of pedicel and hairiness. A. alticola O.E. Schulz is a smaller form of this species, with narrow leaves and smaller flowers. A. nuristanica Kitam. is also a form of this species with short pedicels and narrow leaves (but specimen with broader cauline leaves with shorter pedicel are not lacking). As a matter of fact, similar variation also occur in A. bijuga Watt, which usually has narrower leaves and short, somewhat stellate hairs on basal leaves.