Atriplex amblyostegia Turczaninow; A. hortensis Linnaeus subsp. desertorum (Iljin) Aellen; A. nitens Schkuhr subsp. desertorum Iljin.

Herbs annual, 30-90 cm tall. Stem erect, terete below, slightly 4-angled above, simple or with a few branches above; branches slender, obliquely spreading, furfuraceous. Petiole 1-3 cm; leaf blade triangular-hastate to triangular-lanceolate, 4-10 × 2-8 cm, abaxially densely gray-white furfuraceous, adaxially dark green and not furfuraceous, base cordate to broadly cuneate, margin serrate or serrately lobed (usually 2nd pair of teeth from base elongated), sometimes subentire, apex usually obtuse. Inflorescences terminal panicles. Bisexual flowers ebracteate; perianth 5-parted; segments linear-oblong; stamens 5 (or undeveloped and flowers appearing female); seed horizontal, depressed globose, ca. 1.5 mm in diam.; testa black, sublustrous, thinly leathery. Female flowers bracteate; perianth absent; fruiting bracts subsessile, free, broadly ovate to oblong, 6-10 mm, reticulate veined and furfuraceous on both surfaces, margin entire, apex rounded or emarginate; seed vertical, usually compressed globose, 3-4 mm in diam.; testa yellow-brown, not lustrous, membranous. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct.

Atriplex sagittata Borkhausen (Rhein. Mag. Erweit. Naturk. 1: 477. 1793; A. nitens Schkuhr), another species of A. sect. Atriplex closely related to A. aucheri and A. hortensis, has occasionally been reported from China, as A. nitens. In most cases these records were based on misidentifications. However, it is possible that A. sagittata does indeed occur in western regions of China as a native species, or can be expected to occur elsewhere as an introduced species.

Gobi desert, deserts, arid valleys. Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan; SW Asia (Caucasus, Iran), SE Europe (SE European Russia, SE Ukraine)].