Plantago exigua Murr.

Specimens collected by Abrar Hussain, Farida Sultana, Mohammad Azhar, Saeed Ahmad, Adibun-nisa, Mohammad Fridoon 40, and R.N. Seth are very similar to Plantago exigua in the form and size of bracts, sepals and flowers but are quite different in the form of leaves. The leaves in the above specimens are broader, flat and usually are not entire at the margins. These leaves at their margins bear distant appendages, which are 2-4 mm long and 1-2 mm broad. These plants on further study with more material may prove to be worthy of separate recognition.

Annual herb with well developed stems. Stems 15-20 cm long, many from the base, decumbent to ascendent, usually erect and branched in the upper parts. Leaves 2-4 cm long, 0.5-0.75 mm broad, narrow linear to filiform, entire, near the base sparsely ciliate, hairs long, on the other parts covered with scattered short hair. Inflorescences numerous, spreading, peduncles 2-4 cm long. Spikes 10-12 mm long, ovate, lax. Bracts in the lower flowers 2-2.5 mm long, ovate-membranous, attentuated into 1 cm long narrow, subulate, obtuse apices, upper parts covered with mixed glandular and non glandular long hairs, bracts in the upper flower similar to the lower ones but with smaller produced upper part. Sepals 4.5-5 mm long, anterior narrow lanceloate, slightly unequal, acuminate with produced keels, sparsely covered with long hairs, posterior concave, broad lanceolate, apices shortly produced, hairs lax. Corolla lobes 1.75-2 mm long ovate, ± acute, slightly reflexed. Capsules ellipsoid, 3.5-4 mm long. Seeds reddish brown, linear-elliptic, shin¬ing, 3 mm long.

Egypt, S. Iran, Afghanistan, N. Pakistan, Himalaya (Nepal).

Distribution: From Egypt to south Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.