白滨藜 bai bin li

Subshrubs, 20-50 cm tall, sometimes somewhat cushion-shaped. Stems much branched, woody, bark gray-brown, laciniate; annual branches erect, usually slightly zigzagged, 15-30 cm, terete, slightly ribbed, branched above. Leaves alternate, lower ones sometimes subopposite, shortly petiolate; leaf blade narrowly oblong, or oblanceolate to linear, 1-3 cm × 2-7 mm, densely silver-white furfuraceous on both surfaces, base attenuate, margin entire, apex obtuse; veins obscure. Inflorescences terminal panicles on annual branches. Male flowers: perianth segments 5; stamens 5. Fruiting bracts connate only at base, slightly compressed, densely furfuraceous on both surfaces, sometimes with a few tuberculate processes, margins with 3 obtuse teeth distally. Utricle compressed globose; pericarp light yellowish, membranous, adnate to seed. Seed vertical, dark red-brown, 1.5-2.25 mm in diam., slightly punctate. Fl. Jul-Oct, fr. Sep.

Semideserts, arid slopes, lake shores. N Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Russia (SW Siberia); SW Asia (Caucasus), SE Europe].