Viola cinerea Boiss.

Gebel Elba.

Egypt, northeast Sudan (Red Sea Hills), Somalia, Arabia, eastwards to India.

Sheltered rocky crevices.

Annual.

A rare or under-collected species in our area. Closely related to Viola stocksii Boiss., but differs in being perennial and ashy white, while Viola Stocksii is annual and glabrous. The latter taxon is more abundant in our area.

Ashy white, prostrate, densely pubescent, perennial herb with hard, branched, tufted stem. Leaves 0.5-1.2 x 0.2-0.7 cm, ovate-oblanceolate, mucronulate, entire. Petiole almost of same length as that of lamina or sometimes little exceeding; stipules 2, opposite, free, c. 3.0 x 0.5-1.0 mm; peduncle tomentose, 0.5-1.5 cm long; bracteoles 2, opposite, situated above the middle of the peduncle, near the flower. Flowers small, c. 0.8 cm long; whitish purple. Sepals 0.1-0.3 x 0.05-0.1 cm, ovate-lanceolate, entire, acute, tomentose. Petals oblong, beard-less, obtuse, entire; spur short, obtuse, straight, 0.1 cm long. Capsule elliptic-oblong, upto 1 cm long, densely tomentose, 6-8-seeded; seeds obovoid, crea¬mish brown, shiny.

Distribution: Pakistan (Makran), Iran & Oman.

Fl. Per.: January-March.