Herbs perennial, 10--25 cm tall, densely and shortly pubescent throughout. Stems densely clustered, basally lignified, erect or ascending, simple, with sterile short branches at base. Basal leaves narrowly oblanceolate, 2--5 cm × 1--3(--5) mm; cauline leaves 3--8 pairs, linear-lanceolate, 1--2.5 cm × 1--2 mm, incurved falcately, proximally with sterile axillary shoots. Flowers 1--3, upright. Pedicel 2--4 mm, pubescent; bracts linear, slightly longer than pedicel, herbaceous. Calyx tubular-clavate, 2--2.5 cm × ca. 2.5 mm, glandular hairy. Androgynophore pubescent, 8--10 mm. Petal claws broad at apex; limbs obovate, deeply bifid, lobes dentate. Filaments glabrous. Capsule ovoid or ovoid-conical, 1--1.2 cm. Seeds reniform, with small auricular pit, ca. 1.5 mm. Fl. Jun--Jul.

Scrub on river beaches; ca. 2600 m. SE Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia].