C. hybridum auct., non L.; Boiss., Fl. Or. 4: 902. 1879; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 5: 3. 1886; Iljin & Aellen in Kom., Fl. URSS 6: 55. 1936, p.p.; Grubov, Pl. As. Centr. 2: 21. 1966, p.p.; Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. & Kashm.: 221. 1972; Bhopal & Chaudhri in Pak. Syst. 1: 44. 1977; Kung & Chu in Kung & Tsien, Fl. Reip. Pop. Sin. 25(2): 94. 1979, p.p.

Sparsely farinose to subglabrous annual; stem to 100 cm, yellowish-green, erect, angular, branched, lower branches subopposite. Petiole usually c. 1/3 of the length of leaf blade; blade thin, 3-8(-15) cm, triangular to ovate, with outward-projecting acute basal lobes and 0-2 lobe-like acute teeth on both sides, otherwise entire, apex acute to acuminate, base subtruncate to slightly cordate; bracts narrowly triangular, hastate, entire, uppermost lanceolate. Inflorescence narrow, lax, mostly leafless, terminal and axillary, cymose - dichasial, branches divaricate, solitary or several loosely together. Perianth segments 5, connate to below the middle, partly spreading in fruit, with a strong midrib visible especially inside, back apically keeled. Stamens 5. Stigmas 2-3. Part of fruits falling with perianth. Pericarp persisting. Seeds horizontal, black, (1.2-)1.4-1.6(-2.0) mm in diameter, round in outline, margin somewhat acute; testa with large, irregular but mostly radially elongated pits, radial furrows and other rugosities sometimes almost smooth.

Fl. & Fr. Per.: June - September.

Holotype: Tajikistan, Pamir occidentalis, in declivitate lapidoso paulo ruderata in valle fl. Murgab 3-4 km infra ostium fl. Pschart occidentalis, alt. circa 3300 m s. m., 16.6.1958 N. Tzvelev 220 (LE!).

Mountain juniper forests, steppe, screes with dwarf-shrubs. 1900-3760 m; Distribution: C Asia, China, NE Afghanistan, N Pakistan, N India, Nepal.

C. badachschanicum belongs to the C. hybridum aggregate, and many specimens have been named C. hybridum. It differs from C. hybridum L. in having a laxer inflorescence, thinner and narrower leaves with more elongated apex, angles and teeth, and especially in seeds, with a somewhat acute margin and more irregularly ornamented testa. The pits are never clearly reticulate and ± isodiametric as in C. hybridum. In C. badachschanicum, variations in leaf shape, seed size and testa ornamentation are considerable. Some Pakistani high mountain specimens are only 4 cm tall, in fruit.