Vern.: Shalapogai (Pushto), Karkawag (Baluchi).

An erect to subprostrate, biennial to perennial, sparsely glandular or glabrous green herb, up to 50 cm tall. Stem profusely branched, woody at the base, internodes up to 3 cm long, quadrangular with 5 distinct ridges. Leaves unifoliolate, linear-lanceolate, up to 18 mm long, c. 3 mm broad, sharp mucro¬nate; petiole absent or c. 2 mm long; stipular spines patent, 10-20 mm long. Flowers small, pink, pedicel 2-3 mm long. Sepals oblong-lanceolate, c. 3-4 mm long, mucronate. Petals spathulate, about twice as long as sepals. Stamens with c. 4 mm long filaments. Capsule almost globose, c. 4-5 mm long and broad, softly pubescent, pedicel reflexed, mostly shorter than capsule.

Fl.Per.: March-May.

Type: (Syria ?) Between Aleppo and Baghdad, Olivier & Bruguiere (G).

Distribution: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Arabia, Egypt, Palestine, Turkey and Sinai.

Common in N.W.F.P. and Baluchistan in dry hills and gravel mixed sandy clay loam.