Cleome ariana Hedge & Lammond in Rech. f., Fl. Iran. 68: 17, t. 2.1970; Jafri in Fl. W. Pakistan 34:24, f. 6A. 1973.

Herbs, annual, 20 - 40 cm high, glandular hairy; branches thin, arising from base. Leaves 3-foliolate, upper ones 1-foliolate, or apparently simple; petioles up to 10 mm in lower leaves, shorter or absent in upper leaves; leaflets linear to narrowly elliptic, 6 - 22 x 1 - 4 mm, somewhat glandular, glabrous. Racemes laxly many-flowered elongating during fruiting. Flowers 3 - 4 mm across, white or purplish-pink; pedicels thin, spreading, up to 10 mm long. Sepals ovate, obtuse, or subacute, 1 - 1.5 x 0.5 - 0.7 mm, slightly connate at base, often glandular at apex. Petals spathulate or linear-oblong, narrowly but not distinctly clawed at base, 2 - 4 x 0.5 - 1 mm. Stamens 6; filaments purple or violet, 2.5 - 6 mm long; anthers ovoid, versatile, apiculate, often violet coloured. Ovary with very short gynophore; style absent. Capsules linear-oblong, usually slightly curved or deflexed, 1.5 - 2.5 x 0.1 - 0.2 cm (including 0.5 - 3 mm long gynophore), scarcely torulose. Seeds 10 - 15, ca 1 mm across, granulate with closed cleft, glabrous, brownish black.

Fl. & Fr. July - Oct.

Distrib. India: Subtropical and temperate hillocks up to 1700 m. Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.