Moluccella diacanthophyllum Pallas, Nova Acta Acad. Sci. Imp. Petrop. Hist. Acad. 10: 380. 1797; Lagochilus chingii C. Y. Wu & Hsuan; L. obliquus C. Y. Wu & Hsuan.

Herbs perennial. Stems 15-25 cm, white, base woody, branched, sparsely villous, apex and nodes glabrous. Petiole of basal leaves to 2 cm, narrowly winged, upper leaves subsessile; leaf blade broadly rhombic, 2-3.5 × 1.5-2.5 cm, papery, adaxially sparsely minutely hispid, abaxially densely white transparent glandular, base attenuate-decurrent, pinnatipartite; basal lobes with 3 circular to oblong, apically awned to spinescent lobules. Verticillasters 4-6-flowered; bracteoles white-green, needlelike or subulate, 0.4-1.6 cm, glabrous, apex spinescent. Calyx campanulate, ca. 1.7 × 0.7 cm, glabrous; teeth oblong, anterior teeth ca. 5 mm; posterior teeth 7-8 mm, obtuse, mucronate, margin ciliolate. Corolla purplish, ca. 3.4 cm, densely pubescent, base glabrous; upper lip ± straight, ca. 2 cm, margin villous, lobes ovate, apex 2- or 4-toothed; lower lip ca. 1.6 cm, middle lobe obcordate, ca. 6 × 9 mm; lateral lobes triangular, ca. 4 × 2.5 mm, glabrous, obtuse. Anterior stamens ca. 1.6 cm, posterior stamens ca. 1.4 cm. Ovary apex white scaly. Fl. Jul-Aug.

Sandy or gravelly dry slopes, valleys; 1100-2000 m. Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan].