Crucihimalaya himalaica (Edgew.) Al-Shehbaz, O'Kane & R. A. Price

Very similar to the previous species but plants caespitose, very short, 3-5 cm tall in fruits, with 0-3 cauline leaves only, shorter and spreading siliquae.

Extremely small size and caespitose habit has compelled me to keep it separate from the previous species. Although Russell 1060, cited under the previous species, is from the same place as this species, but looks entirely different from it. However, looking into the very variable nature of the previous species, possibility of its being only a form of that species cannot be ignored.

Herbs annual or biennial, very rarely perennial, (3-)10-50(-70) cm tall. Stems erect, simple or few to many branched at base, densely pubescent with coarse, stalked, stellate and forked trichomes, often basally hirsute with horizontal, simple or forked trichomes to 1.8 mm, rarely glabrescent distally. Basal leaves rosulate, petiolate, often withered by fruiting; petiole (0.3-)0.7-1.5(-2) cm, often ciliate; leaf blade spatulate, oblanceolate, ovate, or oblong, (0.4-)1-3(-4) cm × 2-10(-14) mm, densely pubescent with coarse, stalked, stellate and forked trichomes, margin coarsely dentate or rarely subentire, apex obtuse. Middle cauline leaves oblong, rarely ovate or lanceolate, sessile, 0.5-2.5(-3.2) cm × 2-7(-11) mm, pubescent as basal leaves, rarely glabrescent, base auriculate or rarely sagittate, margin coarsely dentate or rarely entire, apex acute. Racemes bracteate along entire length or only lowermost few flowers bracteate. Fruiting pedicels slender, stellate pubescent laterally and abaxially, glabrous adaxially, divaricate, (1-)2-7(-11) mm. Sepals often pink, oblong, 1.5-2.5(-3) × 0.7-1 mm, densely pubescent, sometimes narrowly membranous. Petals purple, pink, or rarely white, spatulate, 2-3.5(-5) × (0.6-)1-1.5(-2) mm, attenuate to base; claw to 1 mm. Filaments 1.5-3 mm; anthers oblong, 0.3-0.5 mm. Ovules 50-110 per ovary. Fruit linear, terete, straight or rarely slightly curved, erect or divaricate-ascending, (0.8-)1.5-3.5(-4.5) cm × (0.4-)0.5-0.8(-1) mm; valves glabrous or rarely puberulent, with an obscure or rarely prominent midvein; style (0.1-)0.4-0.6 mm. Seeds brown, oblong, 0.5-0.8 × 0.2-0.4 mm. Fl. (Mar)Apr-Sep, fr. Jun-Oct. 2n = 16.

Perennial, caespitose, 2-4 (-5) cm tall, in fruits, densely pubescent with short branched hairs only. Radical leaves rosulate, 4-10 mm long, 1.5-3 (-5) mm broad, obovate or oblanceolate, cuneate, sessile, entire; cauline leaves 0-3 (-4) only, 1.5-4.5 mm long, 1-2 mm broad, ovate-oblong, semiamplexicaul, entire. Racemes 5-10-flowered, ebracteate, somewhat congested in fruit. Flowers c. 3 mm across, white; pedicels up to 4 mm long in fruit, spreading. Sepals 1.5 mm long. Petals c. 3 mm long. Siliquae (almost mature) c. 17 mm long, 1 mm broad, linear, subcompressed, acute, glabrous; valves 1-veined; style 0.5 mm long with minute depressed stigma; seeds c. 15 in each locule, less than a mm long.

Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan, Sikkim].

Distribution: Known from the type gathering only.

Fl. Per.: June- July.

Rocky hillsides, grassy meadows, sandy slopes, flood plains, scree, pastures; (1500-)2600-4400(-5000) m.

Arabis himalaica Edgeworth, Trans. Linn. Soc. London 20: 31. 1846; Arabidopsis brevicaulis (Jafri) Jafri; A. himalaica (Edgeworth) O. E. Schulz; A. himalaica var. harrissii O. E. Schulz; A. himalaica var. integrifolia O. E. Schulz; A. himalaica var. rupestris (Edgeworth) O. E. Schulz; Arabis brevicaulis Jafri; A. rupestris Edgeworth; Hesperis himalaica (Edgeworth) Kuntze; Sisymbrium himalaicum (Edgeworth) J. D. Hooker & Thomson; S. rupestre (Edgeworth) J. D. Hooker & Thomson.