囊管草瑞香 nang guan cao rui xiang

Passerina vesiculosa Fischer & C. A. Meyer, Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 12: 170. 1839; Diarthron carinatum Jaubert.

Herbs annual, erect, ca. 50 cm tall. Stem usually single, densely branched from above base, erect, lower part purplish red, otherwise pale green, terete, slender, glabrous or sparsely puberulous when young. Leaves alternate; petiole very short or absent; leaf blade linear to linear-lanceolate, 0.7-1.2 × 0.2-0.3 cm, herbaceous, both surfaces glabrous, base broadly cuneate, margin not revolute, apex obtuse-rounded; midrib obscure on both surfaces or slightly visible abaxially; lateral veins obscure. Inflorescences terminal, racemose or spicate, ca. 3.5 cm, usually slightly white pubescent or glabrous. Pedicel very short, 0.5-1 mm, articulate at apex. Calyx white; tube cylindric, 3-3.5 mm, slender, lower part conspicuously ribbed; lobes 4, slightly spreading, oblong-linear, ca. 0.4 mm, apex obtuse. Stamens 8, both whorls inserted above middle of calyx tube; anthers subellipsoid, ca. 0.2 mm; included within calyx tube. Ovary ellipsoid, stipitate; style filiform, long. Drupe light red, ovoid or conic, ca. 2 mm, glabrous, enclosed in persistent calyx. Fl. and fr. Jun-Aug. 2n = 18.

Sandy places; 600-900 m. Xinjiang (Gongliu, Tacheng, Xinyuan) [Afghanistan, NW India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia (including European part); SW Asia].