Kochia eriophora Schrad. in Neues J. Bot. 3, 3-4: 86. t. 3. 1809; K. latifolia Fresen., Mus. Senckenb. 1: 179. 1834; Londesia eriantha Fisch. & C.A. Mey., Ind. Sem. Horti Petrop. 2:40. 1835; Kom., Fl. URSS 6: 124, pl. 5. f. 14. 1936; Chenolea eriophora (Schrad.) Aitch. & Hemsl. in Trans. Linn. Soc., ser. 2 (3): 102. 1886; Bassia eriantha (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) N. Pavlov in Acta Univ. As. Med. ser. 8 b, 22: 28. 1935.

Annual herb, erect to ascending, 5-25 (-40) cm, branching from base, stem and branches usually sublanate or sparsely covered with soft hairs, fleecy-villose in the axils of flowering region from the dense cottony ball-like growth from the perianth, Leaves small, flat, subsessile or very shortly petioled, linear-oblong to lanceolate-ovate or elliptic, ± fleshy, entire, 5-20 x 2-4 mm, abruptly narrowed towards base, acute to obtuse, pubescent especially beneath and on the margins, Bracts soon deciduous, smaller than leaves. Flowering glomerules like cotton balls, hidden in thick white fleece, densely spicate. Perianth of perfect flowers with broad lobes, c. one-fourth the length of tube, that of pistillate flowers shorter and subtruncate, covered especially at base with very long dense hairs. Fruiting perianth adherent to the fruit, rounded-oval, 1 mm long, like cotton-balls, with or without short protuberances at the back; seed c. 1 mm across, discoid, brown.

FI.Per.: March-June.

Type: Not designated. Described from cultivated specimens of unknown origin (Hedge, l.c. 102).

Distribution: Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Sinai, Iran, Pakistan (Baluchistan) and C.Asia.

A plant of arid regions of Baluchistan and elsewhere, fairly variable, especially the protuberances or outgrowths on the back of perianth.