Salicornia caspica Pallas, Reise Russ. Reich. 1: 480. 1771, not Linnaeus (1753); Arthrocnemum belangerianum Moquin-Tandon; Halocnemum caspicum Marschall von Bieberstein; Halostachys belangeriana (Moquin-Tandon) Botschantzev.

Plants 15-200 cm tall. Stems erect, much branched; older branches usually leafless, annual ones blue-green, fleshy, jointed, densely finely papillate. Leaves opposite, scale-like, connate basally, apex acute. Spikes decussate, terete, 15-30 × 2-3 mm; peduncle jointed. Perianth obovoid, apically 3-lobed; lobes incurved. Ovary ovoid; stigmas 2, subulate, papillate. Utricle ovoid; pericarp membranous. Seed red-brown, ovoid or cylindric-ovoid, 6-7 mm in diam., subglabrous. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.

Saline-alkaline mud flats, valley salt-lake shores. W Gansu, Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Mongolia, Pakistan; SW Asia, SE Europe (Russian part)].