Perennial, densely pilose herb, c. 10 cm tall in fruit; hairs simple rarely furcate, white. Radical leaves densely rosulate, spathulate-orbicular, 5-15 mm long, 2.5-8 mm. broad, narrowed below into stalk-like lower half; blade ± orbicular, usually with 8-10 marginal lobules or blunt teeth, subfleshy, pilose. Racemes c. 20-flowered, ebracteate, increasing up to 10 cm long in fruit. Flowers c. 5 mm across, greenish-lilac; pedicels up to 10 mm long in fruit, erect-ascending, pilose. Sepals 3-4 mm long, free rarely connate below, persistent. Petals 5-6 mm long, 2 mm broad. Stamens c. 3.5: 4.5 mm long; anthers c. 1 mm long. Siliquae (almost mature) c. 12 mm long, 2 mm broad, oblong-linear, compressed, pilose; valves with a distinct mid-vein; stigma ± bilobed, sessile or subsessile; septum usually complete; seeds biseriate, immature.

Fl. Per.: June -July.

Type: Kashmir: Shakagam valley, 4950 m, 3.7.26, Clifford 7(K).

Distribution: Perhaps endemic to Kashmir.

Clifford gave the note ‘green flowered plant found growing on gravel and shale slope, c. 500 ft. above stream level at 16500 ft.; the only specimen seen after prolonged and careful search’.

Recently Suslova described a new species of Desideria, D. pamirica Suslova (in Nov. Syst. Pl. Vas. 10:160.1973) from Pamir, which closely resembles this species except for the absence of septum and slightly different leaves. It should be called Christolea suslovaiana Jafri, nom. nov. (Desideria pamirica Suslova l.c. 163, figs. 1-5) because the name Christolea pamirica Korsh. is already occupied. Christolea suslovaiana Jafri is likely to occur in our area also.