Plants 3.5-35 cm tall. Leaves 0.5-1.5 cm × ca. 2 mm, with purple-red veins, villous, base attenuate, margin entire, apex acute. Fl. and fr. Apr-Jun.

This taxon has been regarded as a synonym of Bassia eriophora (Schrader) Ascherson. However, opinions differ (see Assadi, Iranian J. Bot. 8: 233–240. 2000), and thus the issue should be studied in more detail.

Sandy places, valleys, bottomlands. N Xinjiang [Mongolia; C and SW Asia].