塔里木柽柳 ta li mu cheng liu

Shrubs, 2-4(-5) m tall. Leaves of vegetative branches sparse, not vaginate; those in upper part triangular-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, apex mucronate or acuminate; those in lower part ovate, ca. 1 mm, base decurrent, apex acute. Racemes 3-5 cm, laxly flowered, terminal on branches of current year, clustered into lax panicles; bracts ovate-lanceolate, subulate, exceeding pedicels but shorter than calyx, base decurrent, apex acuminate. Flowers 5-merous. Calyx 5-fid; sepals yellowish green, ovate, carinate, margin membranous. Petals semispreading or spreading, purplish red or pink, obovate-oblong, 1.5-2 mm, apex slightly incurved, mostly persistent after anthesis. Disk 5-lobed. Stamens 5; filaments inserted at apex of disk lobes; anthers red. Capsule purple-red or black-purple, ca. 4 mm, 3-septicidal; seeds small, 0.4-0.5 mm. Fl. Jun-Sep.

● Margins of mobile sand dunes, sand dunes, sandy places at riversides. Xinjiang.