Gentiana riparia Kar. & Kir.
Annual, 2-5 cm high, glabrous, greyish-green herb. Stem present, branched from middle or above, each branch terminating into a flower, densely clothed with leaves. Basal leaves indistinctly rosulate, 0.25-0.6 x 0.2-0.5(-0.6) cm, broadly ovate-orbicular (spathulate), margin cartilaginous, scabrate, carinate, mucronate, cauline Ieaves 0.2-0.6 x 0.15-0.5 cm, broadly ovate-spathulate, or orbicular, margin cartilaginous, entire-scabrate, carinate, mucronate. Inflorescence terminal, solitary, enclosed by two upper lanceolate, 0.3-0.6 (-0.8) x 0.1-0.3 cm leaves. Flowers tubular, sessile, 0.4-12(-1.4) cm long, calyx 5-lobed, 0.4-1.0 cm long, tube double the length of the lobes, 0.3-0.8 cm long, lobes 0.1-0.3 x 0.075-0.15 cm, lanceolate-oblanceolate, margin cartilaginous, entire, acute-acuminate, corolla 5-lobed, 0.8-13 cm long, tube double or more the length of the lobes, 0.6-1.0 cm long, lobes 0.1-0.4 x 0.075-0.15 cm, lanceolate, entire, obtuse-subacute. Stamens 5, filaments filiform, adnate at middle of corolla, anthers basifixed, bilobed. Ovary superior, 0.5-0.8 x 0.15-0.2 cm, lanceolate, stipe and style present, stigma bilobed. Capsule subexserted-exserted, with numerous seeds. Seeds small, ellipsoid, striated.
Fl. & Fr. Per.: June-July.
Type: In herbidis deserti Soongoro-Kirghisici ad rivulum Tonsyk prope Ajagus, nec non ad torrentum Karakal circa montes Tarbagetai, Karelin et Kiriloff a. 1840 (MW, Iso.BM!).
A-7 Chitral: c. 15 km from Mastuj on way to Laspur and Shandur pass, c. 2400 m, 26-6-1987, Ghafoor & Omer 3099 p.p.(KUH).
Distribution: Central Asia (Soongaria, Pamir, S. China), Afghanistan and Pakistan.
A very closely related species to Ciminalis aquatica (L) Zuyev, Ciminalis prostate (Haenke) Love & Love and Ciminalis harwanensis (G. Singh) Omer, but differs from the above on the basis of shape of leaves, branching pattern, the flowers are solitary though look l ike fasciculate.
An Irano-Turanian element, which ends its limits in Chitral and N.W.F.P. of Pakistan. It does not extend, further east.
A new record for Pakistan.
