Lepidagathis trinervis Nees

A prostrae to suberect, up to 30 cm tall undershrub with quardrangular, puberulent or glabrous twigs from the woody rootstock. Leaves sessile, linear to narrowly lanceolate, 2-4.5 cm x 3-5 mm, glabrous, 3-nerved from the base, lateral nerves weaker than midrib and run along entire margin, acute, mucronulate. Flowers light pink, in dense, one-sided axillary, sessile, 1-2 (-2.5) cm long, oblong-ovoid spikes, solitary or fascicled near rootstock or a little higher up; bracts ovate or elliptic-ovate, 4-5 x 2.5-3 mm, ciliate at apex with a 3.5-4.5 mm long recurved spine, minutely puberulous; bracteoles dimorphous, nearly as long as long bracts, outer oblong-lanceolate, acuminate-aristate, inner cuneiform, membranous. Calyx 5-partite, lobes 7-8 mm long, membranous, acute but not spine-tipped, hairy within, glabrescent outside. Corolla spotted inside, 5-6 mm long, densely long silky hairy in bud, upper lip slightly notched, lower lip with 3, patent obtuse lobes. Capsule ovoid-lanceolate, 5-6 mm long, 2-seeded, glabrous, seeds oblong, 2-3 mm long, with long hygroscopic hairs.

Distribution: India and Pakistan (Baluchistan and Sind).

Fl. Per.: September-February.