Arnebia decumbens (Vent.) Coss. & Kral.

Differs from the subspecies macrocalyx (Coss and Kral) Riedl from S. Iran, in which the lower half of fruiting calyx is white tubercled. Z. Ali 5624 from Pishin (Quetta) has a similar calyx

Annual ± erect, 3.5-17 (-30) cm tall. Roots with a purplish dye. Stem branched from the base, yellowish. Hairs stiff, spreading, up to 2.5 mm long, inter-mixed with shorter and softer antrorsely subappresed hairs; longer hairs with a distinct swollen base; basal leaves deciduous at length, 11-40 x 4-7 mm, cauline smaller, oblanceolate, obtuse, margin entire to ± revolute, base attenuate, hairy on both surfaces. Hairs up to 1.4 mm long. Inflorescence terminal and axillary, 30-40 mm long, congested, up to 170 mm is fruit and with flowers less crowded. Flowers yellow, bracteate; bracts leafy but narrower, hairy. Calyx 5-partite, 4-5 mm long, up to 17 mm in fruit. Fruiting calyx ± 5-angled, base c. 4.5 mm broad, prominently nerved; lobes linear, 6-7 mm long in fruit; longer hairs (up to 2.8 mm) stiff, inter-mixed with softer ones. Corolla tubular, infundibuliform, dense pubescent to the outside; tube 10-11 mm long, broader towards the top; lobes, ± obtuse. Anther 0.7-0.8 mm long, attached above the upper half of tube, but in groups at different levels. Style reaching up to upper half of corolla tube, twice forked. Stigmas 4, capitate. Nutlets 2-2.8 mm long, ovoid, beaked; beak tubercled, greyish to greyish-brown.

Herbs annual. Roots containing a purple dye. Stems erect, branched from base, 10-30 cm tall, spreading long hispid; branches alternate or subopposite. Stem leaves sessile, linear-oblong to linear-lanceolate, 2-6 cm × 2-16 mm, sparsely hispid, apex obtuse. Calyx lobes linear, ca. 7 mm, to 1.2 cm in fruit, long hispid, short strigose, base extended and hardened, subtending nutlet. Corolla yellow, tubular-campanulate, 1-1.4 cm, pubescent outside; tube straight or slightly curved; limb 3-6 mm wide; lobes broadly ovate, subequal. Stamens spirally inserted at apex of corolla tube; anthers oblong, ca. 1 mm. Style filiform, nearly reaching throat, twice 2-cleft; stigma globose. Nutlets brown, triangular-ovoid, ca. 2 mm, densely tuberculate, adaxial center line prominent, abaxially convex, slightly wrinkled, apex nearly keeled. Fl. and fr. May-Jun. 2n = 8, 22.

Distribution: N. Africa, Syria, Caucasus, Iraq, Iran, Turkestan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Pamir Alaj, Tien Shan, China.

Fl. Per.: April-May.

Mountain slopes, sand, wasteland. N Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkmenistan; N Africa, SW Asia, Europe].

Lithospermum decumbens Ventenat, Descr. Pl. Nouv. 37, t. 37. 1800; L. cornutum Ledebour.