Pachypteris multicaulis Karelin & Kirilov, Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 15: 159. 1842; Isatis multicaulis (Karelin & Kirilov) Jafri; Pachypteris densiflora (Bunge) Parsa; P. lamprocarpa (Bunge) Parsa; Pachypterygium densiflorum Bunge; P. echinatum Jarmolenko; P. lamprocarpum Bunge; P. microcarpum Gilli; P. praemontanum Jarmolenko; P. ramosum Jarmolenko ex Pavlov.

Herbs 8-25 cm tall, glabrous throughout except sometimes for fruit. Stems erect or ascending, several to many branched below and above, sometimes glaucous. Basal leaves oblanceolate, 0.7-4 cm × 1.5-6 mm, attenuate to petiolelike base 2-15 mm, margin entire, apex obtuse. Cauline leaves oblong, linear, or linear-lanceolate, 0.6-4 cm × 1-5 mm, sometimes glaucous, base sagittate or auriculate, margin entire, apex obtuse to subacute; auricles to 7 × 3 mm. Fruiting pedicels filiform, divaricate or reflexed, 2-6 mm. Sepals yellowish, oblong, (0.6-)0.8-1.2 × 0.3-0.5 mm. Petals yellow, oblanceolate or obovate, (0.9-)1.2-2 × 0.3-0.6(-0.9) mm, apex obtuse; claw absent. Filaments yellowish, 0.5-1(-1.4) mm; anthers subglobose, 0.1-0.2 mm. Fruit elliptic, elliptic-oblong, or ovate, 2-4(-4.5) × 1.5-2.5 mm, base and apex obtuse; valves glabrous or densely papillate with trichomes to 0.3 mm, these longer at the middle than along margin. Seeds narrowly oblong, yellowish, 1.3-1.7 × 0.5-0.9 mm. Fl. and fr. Apr-Jun.

Sandy places; 400-3400 m. Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; SW Asia].