Bassia eriantha (Fisch. & C. A. Mey.) Kuntze (1891: 546)

Akhani, Hossein & Khoshravesh, Roxana, 2013, The relationship and different C Kranz anatomy of Bassia eriantha and Bassia eriophora, two often confused Irano-Turanian and Saharo-Sindian species, Phytotaxa 93 (1), pp. 1-24 : 16

Bassia eriantha (Fisch. & C. A. Mey.) Kuntze (1891: 546) .

Londesia eriantha Fischer & Meyer (1835: 40) . Type:— KAZAKHSTAN: Novo Alexandrovsk, G. Karelin s.n. (lectotype LE, photo! here designated by V. P. Botschantzev) ( Fig. 10 ).— Bassia eriantha (Fisch. & C. A. Mey.) Pavlov (1935: 28) . Latter homotypic synonym according to Art. 11. 5 ICN ( McNeill et al. 2012).

Seedling: ― Cotyledon leaves oblong to broad elliptic, spreading and slightly fleshy, up to half the length of the first true leaves, 0.1–0.2 × 0.4–0.6 cm, hypocotyls (0–) 0.10–0.17 cm.

Mature plant: ―Annual, stem erect to ascending, branched from or near the base, up to 20 cm, villous, pale to pinkish in young stems and red to purplish in age and/or in dried plants. Leaves alternate, slightly fleshy or not, villous on both surfaces, spreading or slightly curved at apex in living plants, with prominent reticulate veins; cauline leaves oblong, oblanceolate to spathulate, 1.6–2.5 × 1.25–1.80 cm, acute at apex, sessile, attenuate at the base; floral leaves smaller, broadly lanceolate to broadly ovate, subsessile to shortly petiolate. Inflorescence paniculate; flowers hermaphroditic, sometimes pistillate in upper parts of the branches, 1(–2) flowers at the base of floral leaves, hidden in long white woolly hairs; perianths connate to 4/ 5 of the length, hyaline, scarious; anthers exserted; style absent; stigmas 2–3, filiform, papillose; perianths in fruiting stage attached to the seed coat, without outgrowth, densely covered with white woolly hairs, hairs spinulose (very high magnification needed); fruits hidden by dense woolly hairs; seeds rounded, ovoid to orbicular, 0.5–0.8 × 1–1.5 mm, embryo horizontal, horse-shoe shaped.

Phenology: ―Flowering and friuting is from May to June.

Additional specimens examined: ― AFGHANISTAN. Bamian: Bamian, Kash Rud, 96 km SW Dilaram, Kuh-i-Khwaja Alta , 17 March 1968, Freitag 2441 pp ( KAS) ; 15 km E Red Town , 2350 m, 27 October 1968, Freitag 3963 ( KAS) ; Farah: Farah to Dilaram , 2500–4000 ft, 24 March 1964, Furse 5529 (M) .― EGYPT: Sinai Peninsula: lower Wadi el Isla, 30 April 1902, Kneucker 19 (B); in rocky and sandy places of Wadi Hebran , 24 March 1835, Schimper 133 (B, GOET, M); Wadi esh-Sheikh, to Feiran, 7 March 1902, Kneucker 159 (B) .― IRAN. Esfahan: Qamishlu Protected Area , between Shah Mahur and Allahabad, 2000 m, 18 June 1996, Assadi & Khatamsaz 76399 ( TARI) ; ibid, Godar Khakestar , 2200 m, 29 May 1996, Yusefi 1264 ( TARI) ; on road towards Jandagh , 950 m, 7 May 1978, Dini & Bazargan 33011 ( TARI) ; Khur, Arusan, Khanj to Dadkin , 950–1100 m, 24 March 1984, Nowroozi 3336 ( TARI) ; West of Gavkhooni Wetland , 32º 18' 45'' N, 52º 39' 58'' E, 1483 m, 7 June 2010, Akhani 21384 (Hb. Akhani); Fars: Abadeh towards Shahreza (Dasht), 2 June 1969, Termeh & Izadyar 6386 ( IRAN); Hormozgan: Bandar-Abbas, Gahkom, 27 March 1955, Alexandrov 6329 ( IRAN) ; between Haji-Abad and Bandar Abbas, near Tarom and Saadatabad, Rechinger , Aellen & Esfandiari 3288 ( IRAN); Kerman: West of the Jaz Murian, 22 March 1972, 370m, J. Léonard 5742 ( KAS) ; 25 km S Golbaf , 2000 m, 5 October 1988, Assadi & Amirabadi 66510 ( TARI) ; 50 km W Ravar, mountain above Hamkar coal mine, 2350–2700 m, 1 June 1986, Assadi & Bazgosha 56260 ( TARI) ; in the south-west ridge of the Nosratabad, Rechinger 54670 (B); Qariat-ol-Arab to Kuh-e Hezar , 2350 m, 15 June 1975, Foroughi & Assadi 16202 ( TARI) ; Khorassan: Ferdows to Tabas , 1100 m, 4 June 1987, Rejamand & Bazargan 31965 ( TARI) ; Sabzevar , April 1976, Ferdowsi University Staff 20 ( TARI) ; Eastern parts of Golestan National Park, ca. 2–7 km road from Mirza-Baylu towards Almeh , 1250–1300 m, 10 March 1989, Akhani 6218 (Hb. Akh); West of Tabas , South of Dasht-e Kavir , 33° 09' N 55° 49' E, 7 March 1972, Léonard 5887 ( IRAN); Boshruyeh , between Espak and Deh-Mohammad, 1220 m, 12 May 1975, Iranshahr 6606 ( IRAN); Semnan : 10 km Chahjam to Razeh , 1320 m, 25 March 1978, Freitag & Mozaffarian 28508 ( TARI) ; Chahjam , 800m, Gabriel & Gabriel 158b (B) ; 18 km SE Delbar towards Ahmadabad , 820 m, 28 March 1975, Rechinger 50547 ( TARI) ; 48 km ESE Delbar towards Ahmad-Abad, 1000 m, 28 March 1975, Iranshahr 6607 ( IRAN); Delbar , near rivulet just above the gardens, 1200 m, 8 May 1978, Freitag 15211 ( KAS) ; just W of Touran Protected Area , 500 m E of Chahjam, 1090 m, 25 May 1978, Freitag 14782 ( KAS) ; ibid, 9 km SW Chahjam , 1150 m, 24 March 1978, Freitag 14725 ( KAS) ; Garmab, ca. 8 km S at road to Kavir , 1150 m, 15 May 1978, Freitag 15418 ( KAS) ; Garmab towards Kavir , 15 May 1978, Freitag & Jadidi 29058 ( TARI) ; 35 km S of Shahrud towards Torud , 1000–1100m, 23 March 1978, H. Freitag 14675 ( KAS) ; 50 km Semnan to Damghan , 1630 m, 28 June 1972, Foroughi 7789 ( TARI) ; 66 km SE Semnan, Anjirab, 1500 m, 2 May 1974, Iranshahr & Riedl 6562 ( IRAN); 67 km from Garmsar to Semnan, 860 m, 7 June 1972, Amin & Mousavi 2858 ( TARI) ; Between Asb-Keshan and Bough, 1100 m, 2 May 1975, Iranshahr 6609 ( IRAN); Damghan to Semnan, 1500 m, 26 June 1976, Rejamand & Bazargan 32156 ( TARI) ; Torud , 800 m, 28 March 1978, Freitag & Mozaffarian 28658 ( TARI) ; Sistan and Baluchestan: Khash , 16 March 1965, Safavi & Dezfulian 6327 ( IRAN); 10 km from Khash towards Iranshahr , 1450 m, 28 March 1977, Rechinger 54866 (B); Khash towards Iranshahr , 16 May 1948, Rechinger, Aellen & Esfandiari 6353 ( IRAN); Khash , Karvandar, 1 March 1949, Mirzayan 9786 ( IRAN) ; 40–50 km Iranshahr to Khash , 900–1000 m, Runemark, Assadi & Sardabi 22245 ( TARI) ; 25 km Bazman to Bam , 1200–1400 m, Runemark, Assadi & Sardabi 22598 ( TARI) ; 35 km WSW of Nosratabad in the road towards Bam, gravelly and sandy desert, 29º 41' 23'' N, 59º 47' 37'' E, 947 m, 1 March 2011, Akhani, Noormohammadi & Samadi 22225 (Hb. Akhani); 120 km from Zahedan to Bam, pass after Nosratabad , 1200 m, 24 March 1977, Assadi 22763 ( TARI) ; 41 km SW Khash , 1410 m, Babakhanlu 19780; 19766 ( TARI) ; Esfandak, 13 April 1974, Iranshahr & Ershad 49791-1 ( IRAN) ; 30–40 km E of Zahedan towards Mirjawa , 28 April 1965, Lamond 124 (E); Tehran : 25 km Shah Abbasi Carvanserai towards Varamin , 850 m, 26 May 1975, Assadi & Varnecke 17149 ( TARI) ; Kavir Protected Region, Siah Kuh , 1000–1301 m, 26 March 1974, Wendelbo, An Ala & Gobham 10892; 10882 ( TARI) ; ibid., 19 May 1974, Amin & Bazargan 18317; 18318 ( TARI) ; ibid., 23 May 1975, Rechinger 46209 ( TARI) ; ibid., 19 May 1974, Amin & Bazargan 18277 ( TARI) ; ibid., 2 May 1974, Babakhanlu, Dini, Amin & Bazargan 17838 ( TARI) ; near Shah Abbas Carvanserai, N of Siah Kuh, 980 m, 2 August 1976, Freitag 13.998 ( KAS) ; 40 km S Varamin, Mobarakiyeh , 900 m, Rechinger 46087 ( TARI) ; 12–30 km Mobarakiyeh towards Siah-Kuh, 22 May 1974, Iranshahr 6281 ( IRAN); Qom: ca . 72 km NE Qom towards Varamin, Deyre Gachin Carvansarai , 35° 31' 19"N, 51° 24' 43" E, 855 m, 22 March 2011, Akhani & Samadi 22349 (Hb. Akhani); Yazd : 63 km Bafq from Yazd, 1400 m, Assadi & Bazgosha 55979 ( TARI) ; Kushke mine near Bafgh, c . 135 km ESE of Yazd, edge of Lut desert, limestone and river gravel, c. 1830 m, 12 May 1967, Berens 3 (E) ; 7 km N of Zavareh towards Karimabad , 33° 29' 19'' N, 52° 32' 38'' E, 974 m, 28 October 2005. Akhani & Dehghani 18275 (Hb. Akhani) .― JORDAN. 25 km S of Ma’an, 1300 m, 14 March 1980, Frey & Kürschner, VO 5428 (E) .― KAZAKHSTAN. Mangyschlak peninsula: Aktau, between the Karaschek Mountains , NW-part of the Karünjarük sand dunes, 50 m, 43° 10' 37'' N, 54° 11' 23'' E, 10 May 1995, Schnittler 6105 ( KAS) ; Jugum Alatau Dshungaricum, montes Uljkun Kalkan, prope fontem Kokbastau in arenis stabilis, 16 June 1971, Goloskokov 5757 (E) .― PAKISTAN. E2: Chagai distr. Koh-e Sultan , 39 km N of Nokkundi, near to sulphur mines, 1800 m, 14 October 1986, 18.699/698, Freitag & Kothe ( KAS) .― SAUDI ARABIA. Near Uglat Asuugur off the road Medina-Qasim road, 853 m altitude, salt flat near village, 18 March 1981, Collenette 2417 (E) .― TURKMENISTAN. In sandy deserts of Repetek, 5 May 1898, Litwinow 355 (B); Transcaspian region , Ashgabat, in salty desert, 3 July 1900, Sintenis s.n. ( FR) .

Figures

FIGURE 10. Lectotype of Bassia eriantha (LE).