Aphragmus oxycarpus (Hook. fil. & Thomson) Jafri

A very variable species in stature, leaves and siliculae.

Small perennial herb, branched from the base, 2-8 cm tall, suberect or ascending to spreading, often sparsely hairy with simple hairs below and glabrous above. Radical leaves spathulate to oblong, rosulate, 10-25 mm long, 2-5 mm broad, stalked; cauline leaves few to many, distant, oblong-elliptic to oblong-linear, 6-12 mm long, 2-4 mm broad, sessile or subsessile; upper ones usually bearing flowers in their axils; all leaves ± entire, glabrous subfleshy. Racemes 5-12-flowered, lax, bracteate at least below, up to 5 cm long in fruit. Flowers c. 3 mm across, white, pinkish or pale lilac; pedicels (2-) 4-6 mm long in fruit, thin, suberect or ascending. Sepals c. 2 mm long. Petals (3.5-) 4-4.5 mm long, c. 1.5 mm broad. Stamens c. 2-2.5 : 3 mm long; anthers c. 0.5 mm long. Siliculae sublanceolate to elliptic, flattened, subcompressed, (5-) 6-10 (-12) mm long, 1.5-2 mm broad, acute, glabrous; valves 1-veined, flattened; style c. 1 mm long with minute, depressed stigma; septum complete, incomplete or absent, hyaline. not veined; seeds 4-6 in each locule, 2-seriate, c. 1 mm long, ellipsoid, brown.

Herbs perennial, (1-)2-11(-18) cm tall; caudex covered with petiolar bases of previous years. Stems erect or ascending, branched from base, minutely puberulent with simple or short-stalked trichomes less than 0.1 mm, rarely glabrous. Basal leaves rosulate, subfleshy; petioles persistent, 0.2-2(-5) cm, base broadly expanded and to 3 mm wide; leaf blade spatulate, oblanceolate, linear, oblong, or elliptic, rarely ovate, (0.2-)0.5-2(-3) cm × 0.5-3(-5) mm, glabrous, base cuneate or attenuate, margin entire, apex obtuse or acute. Cauline leaves and bracts similar to basal leaves but narrower and sessile or shortly petiolate, reduced in size upward. Racemes somewhat elongated in fruit. Fruiting pedicels erect or ascending, (1.5-)2-10(-20) mm, puberulent adaxially, glabrous abaxially. Sepals often purplish, 1.5-2.5 × 1.2-1.5 mm, glabrous. Petals deep purple or white, broadly obovate or spatulate, 3.5-5(-6) × 1.5-3(-4) mm, apex rounded; claw 1-2.5 mm. Filaments 1.5-2.5 mm; anthers 0.3-0.6 mm. Ovules 10-16 per ovary. Fruit lanceolate or elliptic, 5-10 × 1.5-2 mm, compressed; valves obscurely veined, glabrous or rarely sparsely puberulent; gynophore to 0.7 mm; septum complete, hyaline; style 0.5-1(-2) mm. Seeds light brown, oblong, biseriate, 0.9-1.3 × 0.6-1 mm. Fl. May-Aug, fr. Jul-Sep.

Distribution: Himalayas, Tibet and N.E. Afghanistan.

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

Fl. Per.: June July.

Moraine, gravel below glaciers, limestone rubble and cliffs, open stony slopes, alpine pastures, scree, dolomite cliffs, streamsides, peat grounds and turf; 3300-5600 m.

Braya oxycarpa J. D. Hooker & Thomson, J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot. 5: 169. 1861; Aphragmus oxycarpus var. glaber (Vassilczenko) Z. X. An; A. oxycarpus var. microcarpus Z. X. An; A. oxycarpus var. stenocarpus (O. E. Schulz) G. C. Das; A. przewalskii (Maximowicz) A. L. Ebel; A. stewartii O. E. Schulz; A. tibeticus O. E. Schulz; Braya foliosa Pampanini; B. oxycarpa f. glabra Vassilczenko; B. oxycarpa var. stenocarpa O. E. Schulz; B. rubicunda Franchet; Eutrema przewalskii Maximowicz; Lignariella duthiei Naqshi.