Plants with wide leaves in groups with prevalence of juvenile specimens. Bulb c. 12 mm in diameter, wide-elliptic, engirdled on perimeter by bulbils group (colateral group of bulbils), covered by light-brown, coriaceous tunics. Bulbils brownish-black, numerous, semi-dro p-shaped (less often semi-dro p-faceted), basal bulbil larger than the others. Peduncle 4-8 cm long, in T.S. triangular-roundish, furrowed. Basal leaf single, flat, exceeding the inflorescence, 7-14 mm wide, elongated-elliptic, faintly longitudinally furrowed at the base. Leaves on peduncle alternate, lower almost equal to inflorescence, 9-15 mm wide, widely-elliptic, gradually narrowed in 2-3 mm long apical cusp, upper leaf smaller, linear. Inflorescence shortly branched, flowers on long pedicels. Tepals 10-16 mm long, 3-4 mm broad, oblanceolate, rounded, yellow, outside greenish-purple, elongating and pointed at anthesis, after flowering longitudinally rolled up. Anthers yellow, oblong, dehiscence oviform. Ovary obovate, on a short stipe. Capsule up to 3 times shorter than the perianth, three-rayed, obpyramidal, stipe short. Seeds orange-brown, terete, curved.

Fl. Per.: April-June

Holotype: Chitral Relief Expedition, 1895, Lowari Pass, 9500-11000 ft. 19.5.[18]95, S. Harriss 16699 pro parte (WU! two plants at the left). Isotype (K! - three plants at the left).

Pascher (l.c.) has cited 11699 though the correct collection number stated on ‘specimen originalis’ (Holotype) by Pascher is Harriss 16699 (WU!).

Distribution: S. Kazakstan, Uzbekistan, Kirgizia, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan; N. India.

Gagea lowariensis, Gagea davlianidzeae and Gagea elegans are polymorphic, closely-related species within practically continuous areas, spread at different heights above sea level. Gagea lowariensis dwells usually above a forest belt (2500-3500 m). Gagea davlianidzeae and Gagea elegans grow on glades, along borders and under forest canopy, going down up to 1000 m in northern part of an area. The line of distribution between these taxa and Gagea granulose is not easy to define. Often, plants from this group of cognation are identified as Gagea lutea (L.) Ker-Gawl. which is absent in Siberia, mountains of Central Asia and in the Himalayas. Under the name Gagea lutea and Gagea elegans from the Himalayas 3 chromosomes numbers are specified: 2n = 72, 96, 132 (Koul & Khan, Sci. Cult. 35(12): 689-690. 1969; Koul &, Gohil, Phyton 15: 57-66. 1973).

In Gagea davlianidzeae, attributes of Gagea elegans (a narrow basal leaf) and Gagea lowariensis (the wide lower subinflorescence leaf) are combined; this may indicate hybridization. Possibly, the hybridization constantly takes place in this group. This may explain the similarity in habits and difficulty in differentiating the species and the diversity of chromosome numbers. It is accompanied by increase in the general sizes, width of leaves, degrees of branching of the inflorescence and quantity of flowers.