Annual, dwarf, erect, up to 5.0 cm long. Stem short, usually abbreviated or fasciculately branched from base, canaliculate, glabrous, smooth but not shiny. Basal leaves smaller than cauline leaves, c. 0.3-0.5 x 0:1-0.3 cm, spathulate-ovate or lanceolate, entire, obtuse, cauline leaves 0.5-1.5 x 0.2-0.6 cm, lanceolate-oblanceolate or elliptic, acute, entire, sessile, terminal leaves enveloping the inflorescence. Inflorescence terminal or lateral with 1-few flowered cymes. Terminal flowers on short pedicels or sometimes seessile, and lateral flowers on long pedicels. Pedicels of terminal flowers 0.1-0.5 cm long, of lateral flowers up to 1.0 cm long. Flowers mostly 4-merous, sometimes 5-merous, 0.5-1.2 cm long, campanulate. Calyx 0.4-0.8 cm long, divided to 2/3 , tube up to 0.25 cm long, lobes unequal, the biggest reaching the length of corolla tube or sometime exceeding, larger lobe 0.4-0.75 x 0.1-1.2 cm, oblanceolate-spathulate, acute, entire, smaller lobes 0.1-0.4 x 0.025-0.05 cm, linear, acute, entire. Corolla 0.6-1.2 cm long, lobes 0.15-0.3 x 0.1-0.15 cm, lanceolate, entire, mucronate, pale blue-blue. Stamens versatile, filaments inserted almost at the base of the corolla tube, slender, filiform, anthers dorsifixed, two lobed. Nectaries epipetaloos, two opposing each petal. Ovary 0.3-0.5 x 0.01-0.2 cm, lanceolate, wrinkled, style present, stigma capitate with papillae. Capsule inserted or subinserted, seeds brown, round-oval.

Fl.Per.: August.

Type: Turkey, Nigde, in humidis fontiun prope Bulgar Magara, substrato dioritico, 2438 m, 8.1853, Kotschy 285 (Holo-K!).

B-8 Baltistan: Thalle La, 10000 ft., 13.8.1940, R.R. Stewart 20627 p.p. (RAW), Skardo-Dras, 9100 ft., 18.8.1876, Clarke 30528 (K), B-9 3 km N. of Sankoo, Ladakh, 1980, Southampton University 179 (K), Tibet: Utztachin, Zardkotal, 1838, Herb. Falconer s.n. (K), C-7 Kurram: ascending Sikaram Road, 12000 ft., 4.8.1879, Aitchison 932 (K).

Distribution: Turkey, Pakistan and Tibet.

Grows at an elevation of 9-13000 ft., as an annual in dry soil among or near juniper bushes.

The distribution of this taxon is rather strange as after Turkey, it again makes its appearance in Pakistan and Tibet. Is it really a case of disjunct distribution or hitherto not collaected from Iran and Afghanistan ?