Herbs, 20-30 cm tall. Rootstock irregularly swollen, somewhat moniliform, 20-40 cm × 6-9 mm thick. Stems many branched basally, sometimes only few, 3-5 mm thick. Leaves alternate; stipules absent; petiole absent; leaf blade linear-lanceolate, linear, or linear-elliptic, very variable, 2-7 cm × 4-5 mm, base attenuate, entire, apex obtuse or acuminate; lateral veins inconspicuous. Cyathophylls 3-6, obovate-elliptic, 1-2.5 cm × 4-6 mm, base attenuate, apex obtuse or acute. Cyathium subsessile; involucre cuplike, ca. 3 × 3 mm, lobes rounded, white pilose on margin and inside; glands 4, dark yellow to pale brown, crescent-shaped, 2 horns inconspicuous. Male flowers many, exserted from involucre. Female flower: ovary pedicel 3-6 mm, exserted from cup; ovary smooth, glabrous; styles connate below 2/3, persistent, easily fallen; style arms slightly 2-lobed. Capsule trigonous-globose, 3.5-4.5 × 3.5-4.5 mm. Seeds long globose, ca. 2.5 × 2 mm, gray-brown to light brown; caruncle present, peltate, sessile. Fl. Apr-Jun.

The root is used in traditional Chinese medicine.

● Fields, roadsides, low mountain slopes. Gansu, Henan, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi.