Cucubalus fruticulosus Pallas; Physolychnis altaica (Persoon) Ruprecht; S. fruticulosa (Pallas) Schischkin ex Krylov (1931), not Siebold ex Otth (1824), nor M. Bieberstein (1825).

Herbs suffruticose, 15--50 cm tall. Roots robust. Stems caespitose, erect, basally lignified, not branched or only branched at base, basally slightly coarse, shortly pubescent, apically viscid. Leaves with short, sterile axillary branches, linear or subulate, 1.5--3 cm × 0.5--1 mm, hard, margin coarse, ciliate at base, apex acute, triangular in cross section at maturity, pungent. Flowers erect, in a racemiform thyrse with usually alternate, 1-flowered cymules. Pedicel 1--1.5 cm, glabrous, viscid; bracts ovate, margin membranous, ciliate, apex acuminate. Calyx tubular, clavate in fruit, 1.2--1.5 cm, subglabrous, longitudinal veins green or violet; calyx teeth ca. 1 mm. Androgynophore 4--6 mm, shortly hairy. Petal claws slightly exserted beyond calyx, narrowly oblanceolate, without auricles; limbs white, bifid to 1/2; lobes linear, apex obtuse; coronal scales minute. Stamens and styles included or slightly exserted; filaments glabrous. Styles 3. Capsule 8--10 mm. Seeds brown, triangular-reniform, ca. 1.5 mm. Fl. Jun--Jul, fr. Jul--Aug.

The type of Silene altaica has not been seen by the present authors.

Stony mountains, desert grasslands; 1400--1900 m. N Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Russia].