泡泡刺 pao pao ci

Shrubs 25-50 cm tall, prostrate. Branches arched, young branches white, sterile branches spiny at apex. Leaves in clusters of 2 or 3, nearly sessile; leaf blade linear to oblanceolate-linear, 5-25 × 2-5 mm, apex acute to obtuse. Inflorescences yellowish gray, 2-4 cm, pubescent. Pedicel 1-5 mm. Sepals green, pubescent. Petals white, ca. 2 mm. Unripe fruit lanceolate, with densely yellowish brown pubescence, apex acuminate; ripe fruit expanding into a ball, ca. 1 cm in diam.; exocarp dry and membranous. Stone spindle-shaped, 6-8 mm, surface cavernous, apex acuminate. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jun-Jul.

Deserts, foothills, gravelly and sandy areas. NW Gansu, W Nei Mongol, Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Mongolia].