M. QAISER

Shrub, 2 m tall, with somewhat blackish brown bark, glabrous. Leaves vaginate, ending abruptly in a short spine, 1-1.5 (-2) mm long with somewhat papillose margin. Racemes aestival, simple, 4-8 cm long, 5 (-6) mm broad with glabrous rachis. Flowers pentamerous, pink to purplish pink. Bracts triangulate, amplexicaul, minutely denticulate, acute, 1-1.25 mm long; pedicel slightly shorter than bract; sepals ovate, finely denticulate, obtuse, c. 1 mm long, slightly less than 1 mm broad, outer sepals slightly keeled. Petals oblong, obovate or narrowly elliptic, inequilateral, sometimes emarginate or notched at the apex, c. 2 mm long, 1 mm broad. Stamens 5, filaments filiform, passing into the lobes of the disc i.e. epilophic, anthers ovate, slightly apiculate c. 0.7 mm long. Stigma discoid, ovary conic, somewhat bottle shaped, c. 2 mm long. Capsule 6-7 mm long, 2-3 mm broad, purplish pink.

Fl. Per.: February

Holotype: Described from Iran (Kerman): ad marginem austro-orientalem deserti Lut SW Nosaratabad, Sipi, 17.3.1965. Rechinger 2713 (W).

Distribution: South Western Iran and Pakistan.