准噶尔猪毛菜 zhun ga er zhu mao cai

Subshrubs 10-30 cm tall. Woody branches much branched, gray-brown, short, stout; annual branches borne at apex of woody branches, crowded, white, branched in middle and upper part, densely shortly sinuate pilose. Leaves alternate, sometimes fascicled, terete, 5-10 × 0.7-1 mm, sparsely villous, base expanded, not constricted, apex obtuse. Inflorescence usually spicate-paniculate; bracts broadly lanceolate or ovate, apex obtuse; bractlets broadly ovate, margin membranous. Perianth (including wings) 6-8 mm in diam. in fruit; segments green, narrowly ovate, abaxially somewhat fleshy and winged from distal middle part, glabrous except apex ciliate, margin membranous; portion of segment above wing connivent with others, enclosing utricle, forming a short cone; wings membranous, 3 yellow-brown or light purple-brown, reniform, with numerous fine veins; other 2 wings obovate, smaller. Anther appendage very small. Stigmas subulate, nearly equaling style. Seed horizontal. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Sep-Oct.

Gobi desert, arid slopes. N Xinjiang [C Asia].