Pugionium calcaratum Komarov; P. cristatum Komarov; P. dolabratum var. platypterum H. L. Yang.

Herbs annual, (50-)60-100 cm tall. Stems erect, many branched above. Basal leaves slightly fleshy; leaf blade 2-pinnatisect, to 25 × 6.5 cm; ultimate lateral lobes filiform or linear, to 5.5 cm × 0.5-1.5 mm, apex subacute. Middle and upper cauline leaves similar to basal. Fruiting pedicels slightly stout, straight, (0.6-)0.8-2(-2.5) cm. Sepals 5-8 × 1.2-1.5 mm; sac of lateral pair 0.6-1.2 mm. Petals pink, linear or linear-lanceolate, 1.2-2 cm × 1.5-2.5 mm; claw 5-8 mm. Median filament pairs 5-8 mm, lateral pair 3-5 mm; anthers oblong, 1.2-1.5 mm. Fruit transversely oblong, excluding wings 0.7-1.2 × 1-2 cm; wings lanceolate, ovate, oblong, or obovate, 0.7-2.5(-3) cm, 4-8(-10) mm wide at base, margin entire, apex obliquely truncate, acute, or obtuse, toothless or toothed, 5-10(-12)-veined; spines absent, sometimes up to 16 and to 2 cm × 3 mm; style obsolete or to 1 mm. Seeds brown, oblong, 5-8 × 1.5-3 mm. Fl. Aug-Sep.

Sandy deserts, dunes; 1000-1400 m. Gansu, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Shaanxi [Mongolia].