Shrubs or dwarf shrubs, 20-50 cm tall, with densely straggling divaricate branches; branches densely appressed pilose; twigs sometimes with short hard spines, lower leaves sometimes clustered on short shoots. Leaves subsessile, linear-spatulate to linear, rarely oblong-obovate, 2.2-3.5(-4.5) cm X 4-7 mm, densely appressed pilose, base decurrent, apex acute to obtuse. Pedicel 2-6 mm. Flowers axillary, solitary or 2-4 in a cyme, on a short lateral branch often ending in 1 or 2 spines. Sepals variable, lax; outer 2 oblong or obovate, 8-10 mm, hirsute abaxially; inner 3 ovate, glabrous, mucronate. Corolla narrowly funnelform, (1.3-)1.7-2.6 cm, midpetaline bands densely brown pubescent outside. Stamens included, unequal; anthers sagittate, retuse apically. Disc ringlike. Ovary conical, pubescent. Stigmas linear. Capsule ovoid-acute, 5-7 mm, pubescent distally. Fl. Apr-Jul, fr. Jul.

Gravelly or sandy soils, deserts, mountains, plains; 1400-2000 m. Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, S Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; SW Asia].