Stem up to 60 cm high, usually 20-40 cm, often unbranched, clothed at & the by membranous, whitish sheaths of former leaves, pubescent with intermingled glandular hairs in the upper part. Stalks of basal leaves 15-30 mm, blade ternate for about 2/3, cuneate, segments linear, incised, ultimate lobes 0.5-2 mm wide, stem leaves similar, sometimes nearly sessile. Racemes with 5-15 flowers, bracts linear, 3-15 mm long. Pedicles 7-15 (-20) mm long, bracteoles above the middle, 2-4 mm long, linear. Sepals blue, lamina 5-9 mm long, obovate or elliptic, spur of upper sepal 8-10 (-16) mm long, straight or more often slightly curved, all sepals pubescent and sometimes glandular. Upper petals 6-9 mm long, limb pubescent, claw present, glabrous, lower petals 15-20 mm long with spur. Filaments glabrous. Follicles up to 8 nun long at maturity, hairy. Seeds with transverse circles of broad scales.

Fl. Per.: June-July.

Type: Described from Afghanistan.

Chitral: B-6 Rhumbur, M.A. Siddiqi & A. Rahman 26866 (RAW), Baluchistan: Nari, 7000', E. Nasir 28459 (RAW).

Distribution: Afghanistan, Pakistan (Baluchistan, Chitral).

There is no doubt that Delphinium mastujensis (Type: near Mastuj, Wali-ur-Rehman, Fazal & Subhan 716, ISL) is conspecific with Delphinium latesquamatum as apparent from the description as well from the figures in Pakistan Systematics, (l.c.). The Chitral plants have slightly smaller sepals and petals and shorter spurs. Though at first glance one can take it for an annual species, it is quite evident from the presence of sheaths of withered leaves that it is perennial, but may be flowering in the first year perhaps sometimes. These remains are visible also in the figure given by the authors of Delphinium mastujensis.