Herbs annual. Roots single, conical, straight, stout. Stems much branched above, 35-48 cm tall, somewhat spreading or appressed hispid; branches ascending. Basal leaves few, withered in fruit; leaf blade spatulate, to 7 cm × 5-7 mm, base attenuate, apex obtuse; stem leaves sessile, lanceolate, 3-5 cm × 4-6 mm, spreading or appressed hirsute, adaxially with fewer hairs, base attenuate, apex acute. Inflorescences terminal on branches, elongated to 20 cm in fruit; bracts linear-lanceolate, much longer than fruit. Flowers widely spaced. Pedicel 2.5-3.5 mm in fruit. Calyx lobes spreading, linear, 3-3.5 mm, to 5-6 mm in fruit, hirsute. Corolla light blue, ca. 4 mm; tube slightly shorter than calyx; throat appendages trapeziform, ca. 0.8 mm; limb 2.5-3 mm wide; lobes erect-spreading, oblong. Style surpassing nutlets by 0.5 mm, not surpassing prickles. Fruit broadly ovoid, homomorphic along lower part of inflorescences; nutlets narrowly ovoid, densely tuberculate, disc with 2 rows of glochids along margin; inner glochids 1.5-2 mm, base somewhat widened but free; outer glochids ca. 0.5 mm, usually at base of vertical surface. Fruit of upper part of inflorescences heteromorphic, 2 nutlets with a broad wing; inner glochids of disc margin 1-2 mm, bases strongly widened and confluent into a wing 0.6-1 mm; outer glochids ca. 0.5 mm, on base of nutlets, other 2 nutlets wingless. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.

* Fields, waste areas, slopes on loess plateau. C and NE Gansu.