Shrubs, to 2.5(-6) m tall. Older branches often rough, twisted; branches dull grayish or brownish; lateral spines slender, usually unbranched. Leaves alternate; leaf blade abaxially silvery white, adaxially green or slightly silvery, narrowly oblanceolate to elliptic, 4-6 × 0.5-0.8 mm, abaxially rarely with scattered rust-colored stellate hairs, base cuneate to attenuate, apex subobtuse. Peduncle 1-4 mm. Fruit globose or nearly so, 6-9 × 5-8 mm. Seed flattened ellipsoid, 3.8-5.1 mm. Fr. Sep. 2n = 24.

Xinjiang [Mongolia, Russia].