Annual, glabrous, green, 1-5 cm high erect herb. Stem smooth, canaliculate, branched from base or from middle, ending up in a long pedicellate flower. Basal leaves 0.5-0.8 x 0.1-0.2 cm, rosulate, oblanceolate gradually narrowing to petiole, entire, obtuse. Cauline leaves 1-2 pairs on each branch, 0.4-1.0 x 0.1-0.3 cm, oblanceolate with petiole narrowing gradually, obtuse, entire. Inflorescence solitary, terminal or axillary cynic, borne on up to 0.8 cm long pedicel. Flower 4-merous, campanulate, 0.2-0.9 (-1.0) cm long. Calyx 0.25-0.6 cm long, divided almost to base, tube very small or absent, up to 0.05 cm long, lobes 0.1-0.5 x 0.01-0.07 cm, lanceolate, acute, entire. Corolla 0.4-0.8 (-0.9) cm long, yellow, yellow red or wine rose, tube 0.3-0.6 cm long, lobes 0.1-0.3 x 0.1-0.2 cm, broadly ovate-ovate, obtuse, entire. Stamens versatile, filaments filiform, slightly thickened at base, attached to corolla tube at ± middle or slightly above, anthers 2-lobed, ovate, dorsifixed. Nectaries present at the base of the corolla tube, one each opposing the corolla lobes. Ovary lanceolate, up to 0.4 cm long, sessile, style present with a bilobed distinct stigma. Capsule included, lanceolate-elliptic.

Fl. Per.: July-August.

Type: Described from Kehi-Alai (LE, Photo-!).

B-8 Kashmir: Western Tibet, Karakorum, Nubra, alt. 17000 ft., Thomson s.n. (K), Debring, Rupshu, alt. 15000 ft., 15-16, August 1933, Koelz 6532 (NY, RAW).

Distribution: Soviet Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tibet and China.

Aliopsis pygmaea (Regel & Schmalh.) Omer & Qaiser is a uniregional species belonging to Irano-Turanian region. The species seems to be under collected as few collections are known, including two specimens cited above:

A small plant of alpine habitat, gr owing near snow water or moist grass lands at an elevation of 14-18000 ft. Ho (1988) recognized both (Aliopsis pygmaea and Aliopsis thomsonii) the species. The two seem to be conspecific.