Taxonomic revision of Chenopodiaceae in Himalaya and Tibet
Author
Sukhorukov, Alexander P.
Author
Liu, Pei-Liang
Author
Kushunina, Maria
text
PhytoKeys
2019
116
1
141
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.116.27301
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.116.27301
1314-2003-116-1
182FFF91FFCDFF9CFF811552FFCCFFCF
2559703
1.
Chenopodiastrum murale (L.) S.Fuentes, Uotila & Borsch, Willdenowia 42(1): 14 (2012)
Fig. 12
≡
Chenopodium murale
L., Sp. Pl.: 219 (1753).
Lectotype
(designated by
Brenan 1954
): Herb. Linn. 313.6 (LINN! image available at http://linnean-online.org/3080/).
=
Chenopodium ilicifolium
Griff., Not. Pl. Asiat. 4: 337 & Tab. 521 (1854). Described from Shikarpur, Pakistan (type n.v.).
Taxonomic notes.
Chenopodium ilicifolium
was previously synonymised with
Chenopodium botrys
(≡
Dysphania botrys
); see
Press et al. (2000)
. Despite the absence of the authentic herbarium, we merge
Chenopodium ilicifolium
with
Chenopodiastrum murale
for the following reasons: (1) the drawings of
C. ilicifolium
(
Griffith 1854
) show the plant with dentate leaves, a short and leafy inflorescence, closed flowers and fruit with a papillate pericarp. These traits are characteristic of
C. murale
. Additionally, the city of Shikarpur is located on the plains where other
Chenopodiastrum
do not occur. The merger of
Chenopodium ilicifolium
with
Chenopodiastrum murale
is consistent with the opinion of
Singh (2014
, sub
Chenopodium murale
).
Description.
Annual, 10-50 cm, erect, with several lateral branches, slightly mealy. Leaves 2.0-6.0
x
1.0-5.0 cm, dark green, broadly deltoid-ovate, upper leaves narrow and long-acuminate, mucronulate, cuneate, coarsely and irregularly dentate, rarely subentire or erose-dentate; teeth acute and
+/-
incurved. Inflorescences terminal and axillary (leafy) with loosely branched cymes. Perianth segments slightly keeled with a distinct swelling below the apex. Fruit 1.3-1.4 mm, pericarp tightly adjoining the seed, papillate. Seed with prominent keel and surface densely covered with small pits (Fig.
13A, B
).
Figure 12.
Chenopodiastrum murale
plants at blooming stage. Photograph by A. Sukhorukov (Dead Sea area, Israel, February 2011).
Figure 13.
SEM micrographs of
Chenopodiastrum murale
(
A, B
) and
C. badachschanicum
(
C, D
) seeds. Magnification: 50
x
(
A, C
), 200
x
(
B, D
).
Habitat.
Disturbed places; up to 2000 m a.s.l. Reported as a common species in the foothills of Chamba District, Himachal Pradesh (
Singh and Sharma 2006
).
Phenology.
Flowering and fruiting: December-April (in the plains), March-September in the foothills.
Distribution.
See Fig.
14
.
Figure 14.
Distribution map of
Chenopodiastrum murale
(circles) and
C. badachschanicum
(stars).
Specimens examined.
INDIA: Jammu & Kashmir
: [without locality and date]
Jacquemont
s.n. (P04993274); Udhampur, 3 Apr 1987,
A. Swami 1089
(BSD);
Himachal Pradesh
: Bilaspur Distr., [without date]
P. Lai 78966
(BSD); [Simla Distr.] Rampur, 14 Jun 1962,
N.C. Nair 22677
(BSD);
Uttarakhand
: Dehradun, 23 May 1972,
H. Naithani 3510
(DD); Garhwal Distr., Jogiyna vill., 19 Feb 1979,
A
.K. Goel 64713
(BSD); Tehri Garhwal Distr., Chham vill., 10 Apr 1993,
B.P. Uniyal 79275
(BSD);
NEPAL
:
Midwestern
:
Rapti Zone
: [Rolpa Distr.] Phalabang, 4500 ft a.s.l., 24 Mar 1952,
O. Polunin, W.R. Sykes & L.H.J. Williams 654
(BM); observed by Sukhorukov in Kathmandu valley and near Bidur village (Bagmati Zone).
General distribution.
Widely distributed in tropics and subtropics in all parts of the world. Origin unknown, but
Sukhorukov (2014)
proposed that it may be Eastern Africa and Arabia, where the morphologically similar
C. fasciculosum
(Aellen) Mosyakin occurs.
Chenopodiastrum murale
is rather common in the plains of India, but there are limited collections from the Himalayan foothills. The species was not observed by AS in Dehradun (Uttarakhand, India) and surroundings in February 2018.