Perennial, 20-35 cm with a branched woody stock, covered with remains leaf bases. Stems erect, scarcely branched, purplish, glabrous to sparsely glandular pubescent below, glandular-pubescent above. Leaves congested radically, few smaller above. Radical leaves 20-45 x 2-6 mm, oblong to oblong-spathulate glabrous, apex subacute to obtuse, sometimes with a mucronate tip, base attenuate) Cauline leaves 1-3 pairs, linear-lanceolate, glabrous. Bracts similar to cauline leaves, but with scarious margins. Flowers white, in compact cymules forming heads. Pedicel 1-2 mm, glandular-pubescent. Calyx 3-3.5 mm, campanulate glabrous; teeth ovate, almost 1/2 the length of the calyx, obtuse, with a scarious margin, nerves broad with scarious intervals. Petals exceeding the calyx, oblong-obovate, obtuse, narrow at the base. Capsule 3-4 mm in diameter, subglobose Seeds tuberculate.

Fl. Per.: July. Fr. Per.: August.

Type: USSR. Dzhungarian Ala-Tau tributary to Tentek river (LE).

Distribution: Central Asia: Tien Shan, Pamir-Alai, Dzungari-Tarbagatai, N. Pakistan.

Found in N. Pakistan on dry slopes from 3960-4260 m.