Annual, prostrate, green, fasciculately branched herb. Stem branched from base or above, glabrous. Basal leaves indistinctly rosulate, 0.4-0.6 x 0.2-0.3 cm, ovate-spathulate, margin cartilaginous, entire, acuminate, sheathing and connate at base with opposing leaves, cauline leaves 0.25-0.6 (-0.7) x 0.05-0.25 cm, narrowily ovate-obovate, spathulate, margin cartilaginous, dentate, acuminate-cuspidate. Flowers solitary, 1.2-2.2 cm long, sessile tubular. Calyx winged, 1.0-1.5 cm long, green with yellowish cream streaks, tube double the length of the lobes or more, 0.75-12 cm long, lobes 0.10-0.25 x 0.05-0.1 cm, lanceolate, acuminate, margin cartilaginous, entire, sinuses between lobes obtuse. Corolla 1.2-2.2 cm long tube 0.8-1.4 cm long, lobes 0.2-0.35 x 0.075-0.15 cm, lanceolate, acute, entire, plicae two third as long as lobes, oblong toothed at apex. Stamens 5, filaments inserted below the middle, filform, anthers basifixed, bibbed. Ovary lanceolate-narrowly ovate, with a small style, stigma bifid. Nectaries situated at the base of ovary.

Type: In herbasis alpium Alatau ad fl. Lepoa et Sarchan, 1841, Karelin & Kirilov 1710 (Holo-G!, Iso-BM!).

B-8 Karakorum: Baltistan, La Blak, 3780 m, 11-8-1962, H. Hartmann 1080 (RAW), Karakorum, 13500 ft., 9-8-1876, Clarke 30236 (K), id., 10-8-1876, Clarke 30338 (K).

Distribution: Soviet Central Asia, Pakistan, China, Tibet, Nepal, Sikkim.

An Eastern Irano-Turanian element ranging from Soviet Central Asia eastwards to Pakistan, Nepal and Sikkim.

Clarke (l.c.) has reduced this taxon to a variety of Ciminalis aquatica (L.) Zuyev, but it differs from it on the basis of margin of calyx lobes and apex of corolla. I am following Grisebach (1845) in treating it as a separate species. Kusnezow (l.c.) also reduced this taxon to a variety of Ciminalis prostrate (Haenke) Love & Love as it is closely akin to it. But in Ciminalis prostrate (Haenke) Lave & Love rusty brown calycine lobes and distinctly pedicellate flowers are present, wh ereas in Ciminalis karelinii (Griseb.) Omer and Ciminalis aquatica (L) Zuyev, neither the calycine lobes are rusty brown, nor are the flowers distinctly pedicellate.