Myricaria squamosa Desv., Ann. Sci. Nat. (Paris) 4: 350 1825. (syn: Myricaria dahurica var. microphylla Bunge; Myricaria germanica var. squamosa (Desv.) Maxim.; Myricaria hoffmeisteri Klotzsch);
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Iran to Central Asia and China: Afghanistan, China North-Central, China South-Central, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Qinghai, Tadzhikistan, Tibet, Xinjiang as per POWO;
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European Russia, Northern Caucasus, Georgia [Caucasus], Siberia (W-Siberia, C-Siberia, Dahuria), Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan (Badakshan, Wakhan, Kunar / Nuristan), Pakistan (Chitral), Iran (SW-Iran), Jammu & Kashmir, India (Himachal Pradesh), Nepal, China (Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xinjiang), Tibet as per Catalogue of Life;
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Common name: Scaly False Tamarisk
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Shrubs, about 2-5 m tall. Stem and branches erect, older branches reddish brown or purplish brown. Leaves small, alternate, densely arranged on young branches, linear lanceolate-ovate to linear oblong, about 2-6 x 1-1.5 mm across, base obtuse, margin entire, apex obtuse, petiole sessile, stipules absent. Inflorescence dense racemes or spike-like racemes, not fasiculate, lateral, scales at the base of the peduncle, about 3-14 x 1-1.5 cm across. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, hypogynous, deciduous, pedicel about 2-3 mm long, bracts oblong elliptic, ovate-oblong, margins membranous, about 1.7-3 mm wide, calyx 5 partite nearly from the base, lobes linear lanceolate, margins scarious, subentire, apex subacute, about 3-4 x 0.7-1.3 mm across, petals 5, spathulate-obovate, pinkish-white, cullcullate, margins entire, apex obtuse, slightly incurved, persistent or sub persistent in fruit, about 4-6 x 1.5-2 mm across. Stamens 10 in 2 series, filaments united till half or slightly more, persistent, dilated at the base, free part about 1.5 mm long, anther bi-lobed, yellow. Ovary conical or pyramidal, trilocular, about 4.5 mm long, ovules many, basal placentation, stigma 3, capitate. Fruit capsule, elongate-pyramidal, about 9-10 x 2-3 mm across. Seeds numerous, obovoid-ellipsoid, about 0.5-0.7 mm across, coma about 4.5 mm long, embryo erect, endosperm absent.
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