Solms-laubachia himalayensis (Camb.) J. P. Yue, Al-Shehbaz & H. Sun

A very variable species, showing pilose to almost glabrous habit, exactly the same trend as we find in Christolea crassifolia Camb. Except for slightly broader fruits and narrower fruits respectively C. stewartii (T. And.) Jafri and C. linearis Busch are not different from this species.

This species was recorded from Xinjiang (Fl. Xinjiang. 2(2): 149. 1995, as Christolea himalayensis), but the present authors have seen no material from that autonomous region.

Perennial, 5-15 cm long, spreading or suberect herb, usually pilose with simple or branched white hairs. Radical leaves rosulate, spathulate-obovate, 10-15 mm long, 5-10 mm broad, bluntly 3(-5)-toothed above; cauline leaves spathulate to linear, small, uppermost acting as bracts; all leaves subfleshy, pilose. Racemes 12-25-flowered, bracteate (at least below), up to 10 cm long in fruit. Flowers 5-6 mm across, lilac; pedicels up to 10 mm long in fruit, ascending, often unilateral, pilose. Sepals c. 3 mm long. Petals twice as long as the sepals. Stamens c. 2.5: 3.5 mm long; anthers c. 1 mm long. Siliquae linear-oblong, 20-30 (-35) mm long, 2-3 mm broad, compressed, usually pilose; valves with a distinct mid-vein; stigma sessile or subsessile, sub-bilobed; septum complete; seeds many, c. 1 mm long.

Plants 4-20 cm tall, subglabrous or densely pilose throughout. Trichomes simple, to 1.5 mm. Stems simple, pilose or glabrous. Basal leaves not fleshy, pilose or glabrous, persistent; petiole 0.4-1.6(-3) cm, not ciliate; leaf blade broadly obovate or spatulate, 4-14 × 3-9 mm, base cuneate or attenuate, margin (3-)5-toothed, apex acute. Cauline leaves similar to basal, or linear to lanceolate, 5-17 × 1-4 mm, often entire, shortly petiolate or subsessile. Racemes 6-25-flowered, bracteate throughout; bracts similar to cauline leaves but smaller, sometimes adnate to pedicel. Fruiting pedicels ascending, straight or curved, 3-10 mm, pilose or glabrous. Sepals free, oblong, 3-4 × 1.2-1.5 mm, caducous, pilose or with a terminal tuft of trichomes, base not saccate, margin membranous. Petals purple or lilac with yellowish center, broadly spatulate, (6-)6.5-8 × 3-4 mm, apex subemarginate; claw 3-4 mm. Filaments white, slightly dilated at base, median pairs 3-4 mm, lateral pair 2-4 mm; anthers ovate, ca. 0.6 mm. Ovules 14-24 per ovary. Fruit lanceolate to lanceolate-linear, (1.7-)2-3.5(-4) cm × (3-)4-6 mm, strongly flattened; valves pilose or glabrous, distinctly veined; septum complete, membranous; style obsolete; stigma 2-lobed. Seeds brown, ovate, (1.5-)1.8-2(-2.3) × 1-1.4 mm, biseriate, minutely reticulate. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Jul-Oct.

Distribution: W. Tibet, Kashmir, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Qinghai, Xizang [India, Kashmir, Nepal].

Fl. Per.: June-July.

Alpine tundra, open hills, sandstone scree; 4300-5700 m.

Cheiranthus himalayensis Cambessèdes in Jacquemont, Voy. Inde 4(Bot.): 14. 1844; Christolea himalayensis (Cambessèdes) Jafri; Ermania himalayensis (Cambessèdes) O. E. Schulz; Oreoblastus himalayensis (Cambessèdes) Suslova.