Annual, 2-10 cm high, unbranched or branched herb. Stem shiny, glabrous-pubescent, simple, branched from base, middle or above or from all around. Leaves basal as well as cauline. Basal leaves rosulate, 0.4-1.5 x 0.4-1.2 cm, ovate-broadly ovate, margin cartilaginous, entire, long acuminate-aristate, argent, univeined, connate at base, sometimes reflexed. Cauline leaves 0.3-0.8 (-1.0) x 0.15-0.4 cm, lanceolate-ovate, margin cartilaginous, stiff, entire, long acuminate, bristle l ike, carinate at base, 3-many veined. Inflorescence terminal. Flowers in axillary fascicles, 0.8-1.5 cm long, subsessile-small pedicellate. Calyx 5-lobed, 0.5-0.8 cm long, tube 0.3-0.6 cm long, lobes 0.1-0.3 x 0.05-0.1 cm, lanceolate, entire, acute-acuminate. Corolla 0.7-1.25 cm long, campanulate, tube 0.4-1.0 cm long, lobes 0.1-0.3 x 0.1 -0.2 cm, ovate, entire, acuminate, plicae 0.05-0.15 x 0.05-0.15 cm, crenate, acuminate. Stamens 5, filiform, adnate below the middle of corolla, anthers dorsifixed, two lobed, sagittate. Ovary 0.15-0.4 x 0.1-0.15 cm, lanceolate-elliptic, shortly stipitate, style present, stigma bilobed, coiled. Nectaries at base of ovary. Capsule 0.2-03 x 0.15-0.2 cm, lanceolate-oblanceolate, shortly stalked and subexserted, seeds numerous, minute, ovoid, reticulate.

Fl. Per.: April-June (-July).

Type: Habitat in emodi montibus ad Mussooree. Royle..

A-6 Chitral: Barum Gol, Shokor Shal, ca. 3500 m, 25.6.1950, Wendelbo s.n. (BM, K, 0), B-7 Hazara: Kaghan, Omer et al. 685 (KUH), Kaghan valley, 8000 ft., 31.5.1896, Inayat 19956 (K), Kaghan valley, Naran, 7800 ft., 24.6.1958, Burtt & A. Ali B 833 (E), Pabran, c. 3 km from Shogran, Omer et al. 657 (KUH), About 3 km from Shogran on way to Sari, Omer et al. 632, 641, 642 (KUH), Shogran, Kaghan valley, 9.5.1983, Omer et al. s.n. (KUH), Near Sunny Bank, Murree, 3000 ft., Jafri & Ali 3074 (KUH), Mall road hill area, Murree, Qaiser & Abedin 5606 (KUH), Murree, Feb. 1960, McVean s.n. (E), id., April-May 1915, Saunders s.n. (K), id., along road side on way to Kashmir point, 253.1968, Saida Qureshi s.n. (KUH), Upper Topa, 6700-7000 ft., 11.5. 1918, Sprague s.n. (K), Changli Gali, c.2800 m, Siddiqui & Y. Nasir 6800 (RAW), Gora Gali, ± 3500 ft., 18.8.1917, R.R. Stewart 1571 1/2 (K), Abbottabad, 4500-5000 ft., Barret, s.n. (K), Swat: Shangla, 2050 m, 2. vi. 1965, Rechinger 30643 (K), Shangla rest house , c. 2100 m, 2.6.1965, Lamond 1733 (E), Nashia, May 1907, Deane s.n. (K), near Mingora, R.R. Stewart, E. Nasir & Siddiqui 177 (RAW), B-8 Kashmir: Poonch, Aliabad pass, ± 9000 ft., April 1931, R.R. Stewart 12924a (K), Vosmag, 11.5.1977, Stainton 7764 (E), Koothar valley, 7000 ft., 27.11.1897, Johnston 35 (E), Nowboog valley, 7000 ft., 23.5.1939, Ludlow 30 (E), Poonch, Dhali, R.R. Stewart & E. Nasir 23733 (RAW), Tarar Khel, ± 6000 ft., Z. Ali & Y. Nasir 5428 (RAW), Poosiana, ± 8000-8500 ft., 6.7.1876, Clarke 28793 & 28808 (K), Ruttan Pir, 7000 ft., 4.7.1876, Clarke 28363 (K), Gurais Road, 1927, Mrs. Earl For R.R. Stewart 12926 (K).

Distribution: Himalaya (Chitral, Swat, Hazara, Kashmir, India, Nepal).

A Sino Japanese element which is quite common throughout the region between 2500-3500 m.

A very common and abundant species.

There is much confusion about the type specimen of Gentianodea argentea (Royle ex D. Don) Omer et al.

The type specimen was collected by Royle in the vicinity of Mussooree (Himalayas). Royle sent his duplicate s et of specimens of family Gentia naceae to the then experts: D.Don and G. Don simultaneously. D.Don presented his results to the Linnean Society, London in 1835, wh ereas, the same year, Royle has also published his findings of the Himalayan botany, but that did not include the species Ericala argentea. The findings of D.Don were published in London, Edinburgh and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science (1836) which also included Ericala argentea Royle ex D.Don. Types of most of the taxa described in this paper are persent at LIV. However, the type of the species in question is neither known from LIV nor from BM, E or K.