针叶萹蓄 zhen ye bian xu

Herbs annual. Stems prostrate or suberect, 5-20 cm tall, scabrous, internodes shorter than leaves. Petiole very short or nearly absent; leaf blade linear or subulate-linear, 5-13 × 1-1.5 mm, midvein slightly prominent abaxially, conspicuous adaxially, lateral veins inconspicuous on both surfaces, base narrowly cuneate, margin entire, apex acute; ocrea white, narrowly ovate, connate at base, thinly membranous, margin sparsely lacerate, apex 2-lobed. Flowers 1 or 2, axillary. Perianth green, margin white or pinkish, 5-cleft to 1/3, herbaceous, minutely papillate; tepals elliptic, 0.5-1 mm. Stamens 8, included; anthers purple-red. Styles 3, very short; stigmas capitate. Achenes included in persistent perianth, black-brown, slightly shiny, ovoid, trigonous, 1.5-2 mm, densely punctate. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Jul-Aug.

Dry slopes, rocky deserts, gravelly grasslands; 600-2200 m. Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; SW Asia, Europe].