Lepidium desertorum Schrenk; Stroganowia desertorum (Schrenk) Botschantzev.

Herbs (20-)30-50 cm tall, glabrous throughout. Stems erect, many branched above, rounded angular. Leaves leathery. Petiole of basal leaves to 1.5 cm, broadly winged, persisting in subsequent years into fibrous remains; leaf blade obovate-spatulate or spatulate-orbicular, 3-8 × 1.5-5 cm, thick leathery, with several palmate main veins more prominent abaxially, base attenuate, margin entire, apex obtuse to subacute. Middle and upper cauline leaves few, much smaller than basal, sessile, ovate-lanceolate or oblong, base subamplexical and with rounded auricles, margin entire, apex acute. Fruiting pedicels thickish, 6-11 mm, angled, ascending or subdivaricate. Sepals deciduous, broadly ovate or suborbicular, 1.7-2.5 × 1.2-1.7 mm, glabrous, with broad white margin and apex. Petals white, broadly obovate or suborbicular, 3.5-5.5 × 2-2.5 mm, apex rounded; claw 1-1.5 mm. Filaments white, 2-2.5 mm; anthers oblong, 0.4-0.5 mm. Fruit obovate, 5-7(-8) × 3-4.5(-5) mm, obscurely carinate, with distinct midvein and obscure lateral veins, base and apex obtuse; gynophore 0.2-0.6 mm, stout; style 0.4-0.8(-1) mm. Seeds brown, ovoid, 2.5-3.5 × 1.5-2 mm. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Jun-Aug.

The illustration of this species in Fl. Xinjiang. (2(2): 93. 1995) is inaccurate because it consists of a basal portion, which is correctly based on Stroganowia brachyota, and a distal portion based on a plant of Platycraspedum tibeticum. The latter species does not occur in Xinjiang, and the illustration is modified from that in FRPS (p. 95), in which both species are correctly illustrated and identified.

Presently treated by Ihsan Al-Shehbaz as Lepidium brachyotum (Karelin & Kirilow) Al-Shehbaz (Novon 12(1): 8. 2002).

Stony slopes and steppe of desert mountains; 1300-1700 m. N Xinjiang (Toli Xian) [Kazakhstan].