Strophiostoma sparsiflorum (Mikan) Turczaninow.

Herbs annual. Stems diffuse, much branched at base, 15-25 cm tall; branches spreading, sparsely pilose with hooked hairs. Lower stem leaves obovate or lanceolate, 2-3 × 0.8-1.2 cm, sparsely pilose, base attenuate, decurrent and forming a wing, apex obtuse to ± acute. Upper stem leaves sessile, ovate-lanceolate to elliptic, apex acute. Inflorescences terminal on branches, ebracteate. Pedicel reflexed or recurved, to 1.5 cm in fruit, densely pubescent, with hooked hairs. Flowers few and scattered; upper flowers several. Calyx 1.5-2 mm, slightly enlarged in fruit, to 4-5 mm; lobes lanceolate, ca. 2/3 as long as calyx, densely spreading pilose, with hooked hairs, apex acuminate. Corolla light blue-purple, ca. 2 × 3 mm; lobes ovate, ca. as long as corolla tube. Anthers ovate, apex with orbicular appendages. Nutlets ovoid, ca. 2 × 1-1.2 mm, smooth, shiny, with light yellow, fleshy, pubescent appendages at base. 2n = 18.

Marshes, moist places. Xinjiang (Gongliu Xian, Tian Shan) [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; SW Asia, C Europe].