四合木 si he mu

S hrubs 40-80 cm tall, much branched. Old branches dark purple to brownish red, glabrate; current branchlets yellowish white, with T-shaped trichomes. Stipules white, ovate, membranous. Leaves on old branches fascicled and on current branchlets nearly opposite, sessile; leaflet blades grayish blue, oblanceolate, 5-7 × 2-3 mm, both surfaces with T-shaped trichomes, margin entire, apex acute with short sharp tip. Flowers axillary, solitary. Pedicel 2-4 mm. Sepals 4, grayish, ovate to elliptic, ca. 3 × 2.5 mm, with T-shaped trichomes. Petals 4, white, elliptic to rotund, ca. 2 × 1.5 mm. Stamens 8, in 2 whorls, outer ones shorter; filament with white membranous appendages at base. Ovary 4-carpellate. Fruit pendulous, 4-valved. Schizocarp linear-ovoid to crescent-shaped, 5-6 mm, with 4 carpels. Seeds oblong-ovoid, muriculate. Fl. May-Jan, fr. Jul-Oct.

● River terraces, low mountains in steppes, desert areas. Nei Mongol.