五柱红砂 wu zhu hong sha

Reaumuria kaschgarica var. nanschanica Maximowicz; R. kaschgarica var. przewalskii Maximowicz.

Dwarf subshrubs, to 20 cm tall, cushionlike, with numerous zigzag slender branches. Old branches gray-brown; branches of current year green, later reddish to reddish brown, produced from old branches, 4-9(-15) cm; flowering branches produced from old branches at first, later from leaf axils of new branches of current year. Leaves slightly compressed, basal ones scale-like, those in upper part becoming longer, linear or subterete, often slightly curved, 4-10 × 0.6-1 mm, fleshy, attenuate toward base, apex obtuse or acutish. Flowers solitary at apices of branchlets, subsessile; bracts few, with same shape as leaves, 3-4 mm, ca. as long as or slightly longer than calyx, surrounding calyx. Sepals slightly united at base, exserted, 3-4 mm, ovate-lanceolate, base dilated, margin membranous, subentire, apex subacuminate. Petals pink, elliptic, 1/3-1/2 longer than calyx, inside with 2 long orbicular appendages. Stamens 15(-18), slightly shorter than or as long as petals; filaments dilated in lower part, margin laciniate or denticulate, base united. Ovary ovoid-orbicular, ca. 3 mm; styles 5; stigmas narrowly acute. Capsule oblong-ovoid, ca. 7 × 3-4 mm, 5-septicidal. Seeds oblong-ellipsoid, minute, brown hairy throughout. Fl. Jul-Aug.

Salty deserts, steppes, rocky mountain slopes. Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, N Xizang [C Asia].