Shrublets. Cushions 20--40 cm wide or sometimes more. Current year's branches 3--7 mm. Leaf blade glaucescent, linear-needlelike, rigid, puberulent or glabrescent when young; summer leaf blade (10--)15--20(--25) X ca. (0.5--)0.8 mm; spring leaf blade 4--7 X ca. 1 mm, very shallowly obdeltate in cross section, apex shortly awned. Inflorescences unbranched; peduncle 3--6 cm, densely pubescent; spike 1.5--2 cm, with 4--7 spikelets or sometimes with only a single terminal spikelet; spikelets 1-flowered; bracts oblong-ovate, 5--6 mm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent, apex acuminate; first bractlet similar to bract, 7--8 mm, apex acute, shortly acuminate, subobtuse, or rarely 2-lobed. Calyx 1--1.2 cm, tube apically sparsely pubescent between ribs; limb white, 4--4.5 mm, glabrous, veins dark purple and extending to apex of lobes. Corolla pink. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Jul-Sep.

Dry slopes or valleys; 2000--2700 m. Xinjiang [Kyrgyzstan].