A. RADCLIFFE-SMITH

A decumbent-ascending glabrous somewhat fleshy perennial herb up to 15 cm tall, but more usually only 5-7 cm tall, with numerous flowering-stems arising from the thin, wiry rootstock. Stem-leaves alternate, very shortly petiolate to subsessile; leaf-blades obovate, 0.2-1.2 x 0.1-0.6 cm, obtuse, rounded, refuse or emarginate at the apex, attenuate into the petiole at the base, entire, obscurely penninerved, drying yellowish. Pseudumbel 3-4-rayed, the rays up to 3 to 4 times bifid, with or without an axillary ray below the pseudumbel; pseudumbel-leaves 3-4, whorled, usually resembling the upper stem-leaves but often somewhat broader; ray-leaves opposite, sessile, suborbicular, transversely ovate or deltoid, rounded at the apex, rounded to truncate at the base, entire, comparable to the upper stem-leaves and pseudumbel-leaves in size. Cyathia shortly pedunculate, the peduncles c. 0.5 mm long. Glands semilunar, truncate on the outer edge and with 2 slender horns in length ± equalling the width of the gland; glands yellowgreen, drying dark brown, the horns pale straw-coloured. Fruit roundly trilobate, 3-4 x 3-4 mm, ± smooth or slightly granulate on the keels, pale green. Styles ± erect, united at the base, c. 1 mm long, very shortly bifid. Seeds ovoid, 2 x 1.5 mm, roundly hexagonal, shallowly concave on the two ventral facets, the other facets convex, malleate-punctate, pale grey, with a shortly stipitate, depressed-conical-hemispherical caruncle.

Fl. Per.: Jun. - Aug. Fr. Per: Jul. - Aug.

Syntypes: India, Himachal Pradesh, Kinnaur (Kunawar, Kanawer, Kanaor), July 1830, V. Jacquemont 1491 (P!); ascent to the Runang Pass, 21 Aug. 1847, T. Thomson 2010 (K!).

Distribution: Afghanistan (Nuristan), N.W. India (Kinnaur); the absence from the intervening territories of C8 & 9, Chamba, Lahul, Spiti & Kulu is probably apparent rather than real. On stony slopes, gravel slides and screes; 9500'/2900 m. - 14,100'/4300 m.

Drummond 14249 is infected with the Imperfect Fungus Aecidium euphorbiae.

The Alai ‘endemic’ Euphorbia polytimetica Prokh. is probably nonspecific with this species.