Artemisia pycnorrhiza Ledebour var. depauperata (Krascheninnikov) Poljakov.

Herbs, perennial, 8-18 cm tall, with a short, strong rhizome; upper parts sericeous-pubescent. Lower stem leaves: petiole 1-3 cm; leaf blade ovate or elliptic-ovate, 2-3(-4) × 1-2 cm, incanous pubescent, glabrescent, 1- or 2-pinnatisect; segments 3 or 4 pairs, elliptic or oblong-ovate, pinnately or 3-lobuled; lobules linear-lanceolate, lanceolate, or falcate, 3-6 × (0.5-)1-1.5 mm. Middle and upper stem leaves ± sessile; leaf blade ovate or ovate-oblong, pinnatisect; segments 2 or 3 pairs; lobes lanceolate. Leaflike bracts 3-5-sect or entire. Synflorescence a racemelike panicle. Capitula 2 or 3 per branch, shortly pedunculate. Involucre broadly ovoid, 3-4 mm in diam.; phyllaries glabrescent. Marginal female florets 11-15. Disk florets 10-15, male; corolla limb puberulent. Achenes ovoid. Fl. and fr. Jul-Oct. 2n = 36.

Slopes, steppes; 2300-2600 m. N Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia].