Tauscheria lasiocarpa Fisch. ex DC.

A very variable species with regards to fruit characters, such as size of beak and hairiness etc. Sometimes the fruits are glabrous, the wings and beak are straight. T.oblonga Vas. has straight beak about as long as the body of the fruit, but intermediate forms are not lacking, and this character seems to be of no taxonomic value.

Annual, 10-30 (-50) cm tall, erect, branched above, glabrous except the siliculae, glaucous. Leaves ovate, sessile, cordate, amplexicaul, 10-50 mm long, 2.5-25 mm broad, entire. Racemes 30-40-flowered, lax and up to 15 cm long in fruit. Flowers c. 2 mm across, yellowish; pedicel up to 4 mm long in fruit, spreading or deflexed. Sepals c. 1.2 mm long. Petals c. 2.5 mm long, 1 mm broad, oblong, spathulate. Stamens c. 1:1.5 mm long. Siliculae cymbiform, (4-) 5-8 mm long (including the beak); 3-4 mm broad, hairy or glabrous; seed c. 2.5 mm long, 1.5 mm broad, brown.

Herbs 10-45(-60) cm tall, glabrous and often glaucous except sometimes for fruit and pedicels. Stems simple at base, branched above. Basal leaves shortly petiolate, oblanceolate, withered by anthesis, base cuneate, margin entire, apex obtuse. Middle cauline leaves cordate, ovate, lanceolate, or oblong, 1-6(-9) × 0.2-2.5(-4) cm, somewhat fleshy, sessile, base auriculate, cordate, or amplexicaul, margin entire, apex acute or obtuse, rarely acuminate in uppermost leaves. Fruiting pedicels 3-5.5(-8) mm, glabrous or adaxially sparsely pilose. Sepals oblong, 0.9-1.5 × 0.5-0.8 mm. Petals yellow drying whitish, oblong or narrowly spatulate, 1.5-2.5 × 0.4-0.6 mm. Filaments 0.8-1.5 mm; anthers 0.1-0.3 mm. Fruit navicular, semiovoid to semiglobose, (3-)4-7(-10) × (2.5-)3-4 mm, glabrous or densely pubescent with hooked trichomes, base obtuse; beak flat, (0.5-)1-3 mm, apex acute or acuminate. Seeds yellow or yellowish brown, oblong, 2-2.5 × (0.8-)1.1-1.5 mm. Fl. Apr-Jun, fr. May-Jul. 2n = 14.

Distribution: C. Asia, Turcomania, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

Nei Mongol, Xinjiang, W Xizang [Afghanistan, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; SW Asia].

Desert steppes, rocky soil, roadsides, river banks; 400-3800 m.

Tauscheria desertorum Ledebour; T. gymnocarpa Fischer ex de Candolle; T. lasiocarpa var. gymnocarpa (Fischer ex de Candolle) Boissier; T. oblonga Vassilczenko.