Herbs annual, 15-30 cm tall. Stem branched from base; branches crowded, white striate, densely hispid. Leaves alternate, green, filiform, semiterete, 1-1.5 cm × 0.5-0.8 mm, fleshy, hispid, base slightly expanded, not decurrent, apex spinose mucronate. Flowers axillary, solitary, borne throughout plant; bracts broadly lanceolate, longer than bractlets, apex elongate, spinose mucronate; bractlets lanceolate. Perianth (including wings) 5-6 mm in diam. in fruit; segments ovate-lanceolate, membranous, hardened in fruit, abaxially winged from middle, glabrous; portion of segment above wing connivent with others into a short cone, apex acute; wings light purple-red or yellow-brown, 3 obovate, other 2 narrower. Filaments narrowly linear; anthers oblong, ca. 0.5 mm; appendage white, small. Stigmas filiform, ca. 2 × as long as style. Seed horizontal, 1.5-2 mm in diam. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Sep-Oct.
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