Description:Shrublets, 4-20 cm tall, from a woody base, forming hemispherical cushions. Branchlets bearing persistent leaves modified as thorns.
Habitat:Sandy areas, stony slopes on hills, gravelly areas on high plains, rocky deserts, N-facing sandy lakeshores, dry hillsides in desert steppes, floodplains in valleys, gravelly and stony areas with Caragana; 500-3200 m.
| Form of cushion | C | Hemispherical (dome shaped) cushion |
| Compactness | 0 | Hollow, with canopy gaps |
| Variability | 0 | No variability |
| Root system | NA | NA |
| Woodiness | 2 | Woody dwarf shrub |
| Thorniness | 1 | Yes |
| Succulence | 0 | No |
| Flowers | NA | NA |