Rochelia laxa I. M. Johnst.

The gathering Bowes Lyon 789 from Chitral is tentatively placed here. It differs from Rochelia laxa in the shorter fruiting pedicels (2.5-3 mm long) and which is solitary or 2-3 branched from the base. In Rochelia laxa the fruiting pedioels are generally 3-8 mm long and stem branched from the base. The specimen also has a different indument.

Slender erect annual up to 16 cm. Stem branched from the base. Stem and branches covered with suberect to erect hairs, some arising from a tuberculate base. leaves ovate to obovate, 5-10 x 3-5 mm, both surfaces covered with thin suberect-erect hairs arising from tuberculate base; middle ones upto 12 mm long, oblanceolate. Upper cauline leaves smaller and narrower. Racemes lax, second. Pedlcels c. 1 mm long, up to 7 mm in fruit, gradually thickened upwards, recurved, bristly with erect hooked hairs. Fruiting calyx 3-4 mm long, pubescent with erect hooked hairs; lobes ± erect, lanceolate. Nutlets 2-2.5 mm long, tuberculate. Style scarcely exceeding nutlet.

Distribution: Pakistan eastward to Ladak.

Fl. Per.: May-July.