Petrosimonia crassifolia (Pallas) Bunge var. glaucescens Bunge, Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint Pétersbourg, Ser. 7, 4(11): 56. 1862; Polycnemum glaucum Pallas.

Plants blue-gray, 10-20 cm tall, hairy to subglabrous. Stem erect, much branched; lower branches suberect, usually lower 1-3 pairs opposite; other branches obliquely spreading. Leaves opposite on lower branches, alternate on upper branches, linear, mostly recurved, semiterete or subterete, usually 1-4 cm × 1-1.5 mm, base slightly expanded, apex acuminate. Bracts distinctly recurved or reflexed, 5-10 mm, shorter than leaves, all longer than subtended flower. Bractlets navicular, equaling or slightly longer than perianth, apex shortly acuminate, recurved. Perianth segments 2, elliptic or narrowly ovate, ca. 2.5 mm, membranous, somewhat hardened in fruit, abaxially slightly hairy at margin and near apex, apex subobtuse or acute. Stamens 5; anthers free in proximal ca. 1/3, 2-2.5 mm including appendage; appendage ca. 0.4 mm, apex usually 3-lobed, appendages attached by lateral margins making joined anthers umbrella-shaped. Stigmas subequaling style. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.

Dunes, saline-alkaline deserts. N Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Russia (SE European part); SW Asia (Caucasus)].