Malcolmia behboudiana Rech. fil. & Esfand.

Sometimes used as vegetable and fodder for sheep.

Annual, (10-) 15-30 cm tall, branched mostly from the base, glabrous or subglabrous, sometimes sparsely hispid below; hairs simple or forked. Basal leaves rosulate, oblong-obovate or elliptic, 25-70 mm long, 10-20 mm broad, sinuate-dentate to subentire, sometimes sublyrate, stalked, often sparsely ciliate at the margins; upper leaves small, linear-lanceolate, sessile or subsessile, toothed to entire, distant. Racemes 20-30 flowered, lax, up to 20 cm long in fruit. Flowers c. 10 mm across, pink or lilac; pedicels c. 3 mm long in fruit, slightly thickened. Sepals 3-4 mm long. Petali (9) 10-12 (-13) mm long, c. 2 (-2.5) mm broad, margin somewhat irregular. Stamens c. 3: 4.5 mm long. Siliquae (30-) 40-60 mm long, c. 1 mm broad, linear, subcompressed, often variously curved near the apex, subtorulose, spreading to ascending, glabrous or very sparsely hairy; stigma short, conical; seeds c. 1 mm long, oblong, brownish.

Distribution: Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Fl. Per.: March-May.