Artemisia santolina Schrenk, Bull. Cl. Phys.-Math. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg 3: 106. 1845.

Subshrubs, 25-35(-45) cm tall, with a thick rootstock, densely gray tomentose, later glabrescent. Lower and middle stem leaves ± sessile; leaf blade elliptic-linear or broadly linear, 1-7 × 0.5-1.5 mm, pinnatifid; segments 10(-15) pairs, small, suborbicular or oblong, or orbicularly 2- or 3-lobed. Upper leaves and leaflike bracts entire. Synflorescence a broad lax panicle. Involucre ovoid or ovoid-oblong, 2-3.5 mm in diam.; phyllaries densely gray puberulent. Florets 3 or 4. Achenes ovoid or obovoid. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct.

Desert dunes; below 1400 m. N Xinjiang [Kazakhstan; SW Asia (Caucasus, Iran)].