Atraphaxis tortuosa Losinskaja, Izv. Glavn. Bot. Sada SSSR 26: 6. 1927; Polygonum tortuosum (Losinskaja) Lovelius (1975), not D. Don (1825).

Shrubs erect, 40-50 cm tall, much branched. Bark gray-brown, exfoliating; branches curved; branchlets densely papillate. Petiole short, base articulate; leaf blade gray-green abaxially, green adaxially, orbicular or broadly elliptic, 1-1.5 × 1-1.3 cm, subleathery, abaxially with prominent midvein and conspicuous lateral veins, adaxially with conspicuous midvein, base broadly cuneate or rounded, margin crisped, apex obtuse; ocrea brown, oblique, membranous, apex acute. Inflorescence terminal, racemose, lax, 3-5 cm; bracts brown, funnel-shaped, membranous, each 2- or 3-flowered. Pedicel 3-4 mm, articulate at middle. Perianth pinkish or white, 5-parted; tepals obovate, ca. 4 mm, veined, apex obtuse. Stamens 8, included; filaments dilated at base. Styles 3, connate to below middle; stigmas 3, capitate. Achenes included in persistent perianth, black-brown, slightly shiny, broadly ovoid, trigonous, 3.5-4 mm, densely granular puncticulate. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Jul-Aug.

Fu and Zhao (in Fl. Intramongol. 2: 57. 1978) previously published this nomen novum; however, it was invalid under Art. 33.3 of the St. Louis Code because they did not give a full and direct reference to the place of publication of the replaced synonym.

Dry mountain slopes, hilly regions; 1000-2300 m. Nei Mongol [Mongolia].