Deciduous procumbent or ascending shrubs, 1-2 m tall; branches greenish gray, 4-angled, sturdy, twigs greenish, with 4 right angles. Petiole subsessile or only 1-2 mm; leaf blade thinly leathery, linear to linear-lanceolate, 2-7 × 2-20 mm, base subrounded or attenuate, margin entire, revolute, apex obtuse or acute; lateral veins invisible. Peduncle short and slender, 0.5-1.5(-2) cm, 1 dichotomous branch with few flowers, typically only central flower developing; pedicel ca. 5 mm. Flowers 4-merous, 5-6 mm in diam.; sepals semiorbicular, very small; petals white-green, suborbicular. Capsule obovoid-rhombic, base attenuate, 4-angled, pinkish or reddish when fresh, brown or yellow-brown to red-brown when dry, ca. 8 mm × 1 cm, sometimes only 2-3 locules developing. Seeds ovoid, dark brown, partially covered by orange aril. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Sep-Nov.

High mountain forests and scrub, dry habitats. Gansu, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi [Mongolia, Russia; C, E, and S Europe].