Statice leptoloba Regel, Trudi Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot Sada 6: 385. 1880; S. leptoloba var. subaphylla Regel.

Herbs, perennial, 20--45 cm tall. Taproot red-brown; bark unbroken. Caudex enlarged with age. Leaves basal, persistent to anthesis; petiole slender, basally 0.5--2 mm wide; leaf blade spatulate to lanceolate-obovate, (1.2--)2--6 X 0.5--1.5 cm including petiole, base attenuate, apex obtuse to rounded. Inflorescences 2--15, corymbose forming a capitulum; rachis dichotomously 4--6 X branched; sterile branches few, simple; spikes short, 2 or 3 clustered on apical part of branch, each spike with 3--7(--9) spikelets; spikelets 2- or 3(or 4)-flowered; bracts ovate to obovate, 2.5--3 mm; first bractlet 5.5--6 mm. Calyx funnelform, 6.5--8 mm; tube ca. 1 mm in diam.; limb pale purple to pink, becoming white; lobes apically plicate and acuminate, rarely extended and obtuse, with a persistent arista. Corolla yellow. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Jul-Aug.

Limonium michelsonii Linczevski, which is probably a hybrid between L. leptolobum and L. hoeltzeri (Regel) Ikonnikov-Galitzky, may also occur in China.

Semideserts and hilly areas; 300--1200 m. N Xinjiang [Kazakhstan]