Shrubs 40-100 cm tall. Stem much branched; older branches gray-brown or black-brown, longitudinally fissured; branchlets white, slightly sublustrous. Leaves alternate, fascicular on dwarf branches of older branches, gray-green, semiterete, 1-1.5 cm × 1-1.5 mm, slightly fleshy, base somewhat expanded, not decurrent, above base constricted and petiole-like, leaf deciduous from this point, apex obtuse. Inflorescence spikelike; bract base not decurrent; bractlets suborbicular, margin membranous, apex obtuse. Perianth (including wings) 8-14 mm in diam. in fruit; segments abaxially yellow-green, narrowly ovate, winged from proximal middle part in fruit, glabrous, margin membranous; portion of segment above wing connivent with others into a cone, apex obtuse; 3 wings yellow-brown or light purple-brown, reniform; other 2 wings smaller. Anther appendage apex obtuse. Stigmas subulate, equaling style. Seed horizontal. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Sep-Oct.

Gobi desert, arid slopes. N Xinjiang [C Asia].