A. gayana Boiss. var. rosea Parsa in Kew Bull. 2: 200. 1948.

Annual, up to 20 cm tall, appressed hairy herb with stems simple or branched from the base. Leaves shortly petiolate, lamina oblong, or ovate-oblong, 10 – 35 mm long, pinnatisect or partially bipinnatisect, with linear or oblong-linear ultimate segments. Peduncles slender, 3 – 10 cm long, unthickened or slightly thickened upwards. Capitula solitary, radiate, 1.5 – 2 cm across. Phyllaries lanceolate to oblong, with green midrib and scarious margins, outer 2.5 – 3 x 1 – 1.2 mm, acute, inner 3.5 – 4 x 1 – 1.5 mm, obtuse. Receptacle ovoid, chaffy all over, paleae oblong-lanceolate, c. 3 x 1 mm, ± acute. Ray-florets fertile, tube hairy, ligules white, oblong-elliptic, 5 – 6 x 3.5 – 4 mm, 3-toothed. Disc-florets as long as paleae, tube violaceous in upper part, ± inflated below, with triangular-ovate, shortly apiculate white lobes. Cypselas 2 – 2.5 x 0.5 mm, smooth, ribbed, exauriculate or inconspicuously narrowly marginate.

Fl. Per.: April-May.

Holotype: Iran, Gowhar Kuh, Hakimi 34089-E (EVIN).

An Irano-Turanian element, grows on flat gravel mixed sandy plains among small-sized stones with alluvium brought and spread by rain waters, between 1500-2000 m; Distribution: Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.