Smelowskia annua Ruprecht, Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint Pétersbourg, Sér. 7, 14: 4. 1869; Hutchinsia annua (Ruprecht) Krassnov; Sophiopsis annua var. fontinalis O. E. Schulz.

Plants biennial, (4-)10-30(-40) cm tall, uniformly pubescent throughout with minute dendritic trichomes. Stems few to many from base, prostrate or rarely ascending. Basal leaves 2-pinnatisect, with 2-4 lateral lobes; petiole 1-3(-4) cm; leaf blade oblong or ovate in outline, 1-3(-5) cm × 5-10(-15) mm; ultimate segments oblong or obovate, 1-7 × 0.5-2 mm, margin entire, apex obtuse or rounded. Upper cauline leaves 1-pinnatisect or pinnatifid, subsessile, smaller than basal leaves. Racemes bracteate throughout or basally. Fruiting pedicels 3-7 mm, slender, erect or ascending, often subappressed to rachis, densely pubescent. Sepals 1.5-2 × 0.7-0.8 mm, sparsely pubescent. Petals yellow or pale yellow, obovate, 2.5-3.5 × 1-1.5 mm, apex rounded, base attenuate to a clawlike base 0.5-1 mm. Filaments 1-1.5 mm; anthers ovate, 0.4-0.5 mm. Ovules 10-16 per ovary. Fruit ellipsoid to linear-ellipsoid, 5-10 × 1-1.8 mm, terete; valves with an obscure midvein, apex acute; style slender, 0.1-0.2 mm; septum complete or basally perforated. Seeds brown, oblong, 1.3-2 × 0.6-1 mm. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Jul-Sep.

The above first record from Xizang is based on Anonymous 13568 (PE). Although Sophiopsis annua was recorded from Xinjiang in FRPS, the species was not included in Fl. Xinjiang. (vol. 2(2). 1995).

There are several collections of the species from Xinjiang, including Qinghai-Xizang Team 870473 (HNWP, PE).

Gravelly slopes, alpine meadows; 2500-5100 m. Xinjiang, Xizang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan].