异子蓬 yi zi peng

Suaeda ampullacea Bunge.

Stem 20-50 cm tall, base woody; branches obliquely spreading, pallid to gray-brown, terete, slightly ribbed. Leaves obliquely spreading, gray-green, straight or slightly curved, 1-3 cm × 1-3 mm, base attenuate, apex obtuse or acute. Male and female flowers mixed in glomerules. Male flowers: perianth slightly fleshy; segments spreading, triangular, with 3 veins confluent at tip, apex slightly cucullate; anthers 0.6-0.7 mm. Female flowers: stigmas black-brown. Large utricles 6-8 mm; pericarp finely green veined; seed brown, 2.5-3 mm in diam. Small utricles ca. 3 mm; seed black, sublustrous, ca. 2 mm in diam. Fl. and fr. Aug-Sep.

Gobi desert, strongly saline-alkaline sandy soils. Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan].