Arthrophytum iliense Iljin

Subshrubs not cushion-shaped, to 30 cm tall. Woody stems decumbent or prostrate, tortuous, gray-brown, relatively stout; bark slightly rough, exfoliating; branchlets irregularly spreading, gray-brown to gray-white, slender; annual branches lateral or terminal on branchlets, simple or few branched, light green, straight or slightly curved, terete or upper internodes slightly ribbed, usually with 10-20 internodes; lateral annual branches opposite, obliquely spreading, with 1 to several internodes. Leaves obliquely spreading, subulate, 2-4 mm, base expanded, decurrent, apex acute; leaf axil cottony; upper leaves subtriangular, thickened, adaxially concave, slightly shorter than or equaling perianth, apex obtuse or mucronulate. Bractlets suborbicular, adaxially concave, subequaling perianth, fleshy, margin membranous. Perianth segments broadly elliptic, central part slightly hardened, abaxially with a distal, erect, semiorbicular or reniform wing, adaxially cottony near base, margin membranous, apex obtuse. Disk cupular, membranous, lobes 2-divided. Anthers ovate-oblong, base cordate, apex obtuse. Style very short; stigmas 3-5. Utricle hemispheric, adaxially truncate. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Sep-Oct.

Sunny rocky or rubbly slopes. Xinjiang (Tian Shan) [Kazakhstan].

Anabasis iliensis (Iljin) Korovin & Mironov.