A low shrub (up to 15 cm tall) that forms dense, cushion-shaped, rigid turf. The stems are woody, and the leaves are numerous, short, alternate, fleshy, cylindrical, and glabrous. Flowers are solitary in the axils of the upper leaves; the perianth is simple, composed of 5 almost fully dissected membranous segments. The fruit is vertical, somewhat fleshy, and hidden within an inflated, persistent perianth about 3 mm long. Fruiting occurs in August–September.
It grows in Central Asia and the Trans-Volga region. It contains about 0.1% alkaloids, derivatives of piperidine (dimethyl-piperidine, trimethyl-piperidine).
In medical practice, the ganglionic-blocking drug «Nanophin» is used to treat hypertension, hypertensive crises, itchy dermatoses, eczema, and neurodermatitis. It is administered orally, subcutaneously, and intramuscularly. It is prescribed in tablets of 0.1 g and 0.2 g, 2–3 times a day, and in 2% and 5% solutions in ampoules for parenteral use, 1 ml, 2–3 times a day.