Perennial herb. Stem (10-)15-45(-60) cm long, erect or decumbent at the base, 2-lined, glandular-scabrid or rarely smooth and eglandular, with branches spreading to ascending. Leaves sessile, on main stems 7-20-(-25)mm long, 15-55 mm broad, oblong or oblong-elliptic to lanceolate or linear, apex rounded to mucronate, base cuneate, entire, without black glands. Inflorescence a dense 15-many-flowered, corymbose cymes; flowers 0.5-1.40 m in diameter. Sepals 1-2.5 mm long, oblong, subacute to rounded, 1/3-2/3 united, irregularly glandular-denticulate or glandular-ciliate or eglandularciliate to subentire. Petals oblanceolate to obovate, unguiculate, 5-8 mm long, usually with marginal black glands. Stamens in `3' fascicles (2+2+1). Ovary 3-locular, 1-3 mm long; styles 1.5-2 x longer than the ovary, free, divergent. Capsule 5-8 mm long, ovoid or ovoid-trigonous, longitudinally vittate. Seeds 1.5 mm long, not apiculate or carinate; testa papillose.

Fl. Per.: May July.

Type: "Arabia", Hasselquist in Herb. Linn. 943/18 (LINN!).

Distribution: Palestine and Turkey to Transcaucasia, Kazakhstan and Chitral.

On dry or stony slopes, 24-3300 in. The Pakistan plants belong to the typical form, with scabrid stems and sepals with glandular margin.