Perennial, greenish herb, 10-25 cm tall, with short rootstock, simple, filiform, hollow stem, without cauline leaves. Basal leaves only 1-2, filiform, tubular, shorter than stem, with scarcely margined basal sheaths with rounded auricles. Terminal flowering head, 3-8-flowered, whitish with pale to somewhat brownish bracts, the lowest slightly to much exceeding the flowering head. Flowers (4-) 5-6 mm long; perianth segments ± linear, obtuse, membranous. Stamens 6, exserted; anthers c. 2 mm long, linear-oblong. Capsules oblong-ovoid, 4-5 mm long, minutely beaked; seeds many c. 2 mm long, including tailed ends.

Fl.Per.: July-August.

Type: Himalayas; Royle..

Distribution: Himalayas, from Kashmir to Sikkim, Karakoram and Tibet.

Similar to the previous species but flowers whitish with exserted anthers, capsules c. as long as the perianth and lowest bract usually much exceeding the inflorescence.

A high altitude plant, confined to Kashmir and Karakoram mountains in our area.