Abstract: Desert ecosystem has unique drought-enduring plants and stoichiometric characteristics. We collected leaf samples of 67 plant species from 63 desert sites in Xinjiang, and explored foliar carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry and the relationship between leaf nutrient stoichiometry and climatic factors. The results showed that the average content of leaf C, N and P in these plants were 394, 18.4 and 1.14 mg·g^-1, respectively. The mean values of C:N, C:P and N:P were 28, 419 and 18, respectively. In general, shrubs had higher leaf N content than trees and herbs, while leaf P content was lower (higher) in shrubs than in herbaceous plants (trees). Plants with C3 photosynthesis pathway had higher leaf C, N, C:P and N:P than those with C4 pathway. With increasing mean annual precipitation, leaf C first decreased and then increased, while both leaf N and P showed the opposite trend. Leaf C:N and C:P first decreased and then increased, while leaf N:P changed insignificantly. With increasing mean annual temperature, leaf C first decreased and then increased, and leaf N and P decreased, while leaf C:P and N:P increased. Leaf C:N did not change significantly with mean annual temperature. Mean annual precipitation generally showed stronger control on the variation of leaf nutrient stoichiometry than MAT and plant functional types. These results could help predict responses of the biogeochemical cycling of C, N and P to the global climate changes and provide reference and basic data for biogeochemical modeling in the arid regions.