Atriplex centralasiatica Iljin, Act. Inst. Bot. Ac. Sci. USSR, ser. 1, 2: 124 (1936)

Sukhorukov, Alexander P., Liu, Pei-Liang & Kushunina, Maria, 2019, Taxonomic revision of Chenopodiaceae in Himalaya and Tibet, PhytoKeys 116, pp. 1-141 : 38-39

1. Atriplex centralasiatica Iljin, Act. Inst. Bot. Ac. Sci. USSR, ser. 1, 2: 124 (1936)

Holotype.

[KAZAKHSTAN] Lac. Balchasch, prope Aczie [Balkhash Lake, near Acshi], 19 Sep 1930, E. Czerniakowska 819 (LE!).

Taxonomic notes.

Some specimens collected in China (e.g. Xinjiang, Xizang and Qinghai), East Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are characterised by the presence of long-stalked bract-like cover of female flowers and such plants were described as A. megalotheca Popov and A. tianschanica Pratov. We believe that these two species are indeed varieties of A. centralasiatica . In the preliminary, recently constructed ITS tree (Sukhorukov et al. in prep.), the specimens of A. centralasiatica and A. megalotheca ( A. tianschanica was not included in the analysis) are intermixed within one subclade (as a part of the C4- Atriplex clade). A closely related Atriplex sibirica possesses bract-like cover with warty or spiny outgrowths, whereas A. centralasiatica is distinguished by having two forms of the valves, with and without outgrowths (smooth on dorsal side). The results of the first molecular phylogeny of the genus support the existence of two morphologically similar species, A. sibirica and A. centralasiatica ( Kadereit et al. 2010). The distribution area of A. sibirica mostly covers the northern and middle parts of Central Asia and no specimens were seen from Tibet and Himalaya. For this reason, A. centralasiatica is still considered to be in its own specific rank.

Description.

Annual up to 50 cm, basally branched and forming a tumble-weed habit at the fruiting stage. Leaves triangular or rhombic-triangular, rarely ovate, mostly entire. Inflorescence leafy to the top. Female flowers in axillary clusters and intermixed with male flowers, forming terminal inflorescences. Bract-like cover enclosing the female flowers sessile or pedunculate (peduncles up to 2 cm), rhombic with concrescent (from 1/2 to 2/3) valves 5.0-10.0(15.0) mm long, sclerified and slightly inflated, entire or dentate, either without abaxial outgrowths or with acute outgrowths. Seeds heteromorphic: red seeds convex, 1.5-2.0(2.5) mm in diameter, brown seeds 2.0-2.5(3.0) mm, flattened.

Habitat.

Screes, roadsides at altitudes of 3500-4800 m a.s.l. (in Himalaya and Tibet). Widespread in Tibet and in some parts of Ladakh (India).

Phenology.

Flowering: July-September; fruiting: September-October.

Distribution.

See Fig. 16 .

Specimens examined.

CHINA: Xizang: Ngari Prefecture: [Gar (Gaer) County] Shiquanhe, 4300 m a.s.l., 30 Jul 1974, Biological Institute Tibet Expedition Team 3749 (PE00121143); Gêrzê (Gaize) County, Datan, 4400 m a.s.l., 8 Sep 1974, Biological Institute Tibet Expedition Team 4320 (PE00121144, HNWP40796); Zanda (Zhada) County, Qangzê (Xiangzi) Distr., 4100 m a.s.l., 5 Jul 1976, Qinghai-Tibet Team 76-7926 (PE00121133, PE00121134); Zanda (Zhada) County, Qangzê (Xiangzi) Distr., 4200 m a.s.l., 5 Jul 1976, Qinghai-Tibet Team Vegetation Group 12768 (PE00165736); Zanda (Zhada) County, Qangzê (Xiangzi) Distr., Rabgyailing (Rebujialin), 4100 m a.s.l., 5 Jul 1976, Qinghai-Tibet Team Meadow Group 76-083 (PE00541020); Gar (Gaer) County, Moincêr (Menshi) Distr., 4300 m a.s.l., 10 Jul 1976, Qinghai-Tibet Team 76-7988 (PE00121135, PE00121136, KUN0586474); Gar (Gaer) County, nr Moincêr hot spring, 4400 m a.s.l., 10 Jul 1976, Qinghai-Tibet Team Vegetation Group 13227 (PE00165737, PE00235125); Gar (Gaer) County, Moincêr (Menshi) Distr., 4300 m a.s.l., 10 Jul 1976, Qinghai-Tibet Team Meadow Group 76-101 (PE00541019); Rutog (Ritu) County, Rabang (Rebang) Distr., 4300 m a.s.l., 28 Aug 1976, Qinghai-Tibet Team 76-9125 (PE00121139); Rutog (Ritu) County, Rabang (Rebang) Distr., 4500 m a.s.l., 28 Aug 1976, Qinghai-Tibet Team Meadow Group 76-12971 (PE00541017); Rutog (Ritu) County, Lake Bangong (Pangong Tso), 4250 m a.s.l., 3 Sep 1976, Qinghai-Tibet Team 76-8743 (PE00121140, PE00121141, PE00121142); Rutog (Ritu) County, Lake Bangong (Pangong Tso), 4220 m a.s.l., 3 Sep 1976, Qinghai-Tibet Team Meadow Group 76-237 (PE00541015, PE00541016); Rutog (Ritu) County, E Lake Bangong (Pangong Tso), 4250 m a.s.l., 3 Sep 1976, Qinghai-Tibet Team Vegetation Group 13551 (PE00165735); Gêrzê (Gaize) County, Marmê (Mami) Distr., 4500 m a.s.l., 8 Sep 1976, Gansu Agriculture University 159 (PE00541018); Gêrzê (Gaize) County, Marmê (Mami) Distr., Camco (Chacuo), 4500 m a.s.l., 8 Sep 1976, Qinghai-Tibet Team 10152 (PE00121131, KUN0586476); Rutog County, Bangong lake (Pangong Tso), 4300 m a.s.l., 3 Sep 1990, Y. Fei et al. 737 & 741 (KUN0264613, KUN0264614); Xigazê Prefecture: Gyirong (Jilong) County, 4150 m a.s.l., 28 Jul 1975, Qinghai-Tibet Team 7083 (PE00121130); Lhasa City: Kyichu valley, E of Lhasa, Aug 1904, H.J. Walton & F.E. Younghusband s.n. (K); Shannan Prefecture: Cona (Cuona) County, 4300 m a.s.l., 24 Aug 1975, Qinghai-Tibet Team Additional Group 751508 (PE00121137, PE00121138, KUN0587334); South Tibet, Subansiri tributary Lhuenze–Cona (Camp 11), 28°23'N, 92°8'E, 4300 m a.s.l., 1 Aug 1998, B. Dickoré 10293 (MSB144289); Cona (Cuona) County, 4000 m a.s.l., 16 Aug 1977, B.Z. Guo et al. 22787 (WUK0344207);

INDIA (new records for the country): Jammu & Kashmir: Ladakh, Rupshu, 4 Sep 1970, 4600 m a.s.l., U.C. Bhattacharyya 41004 (BSD); Ladakh, Lukung vill., 29 Aug 1976, B.M. Wadhwa 60146 & 60176 (BSD); Ladakh, Indus valley, Stot (E) [Stod River valley] Sumdo to Zildat La, 4760 m a.s.l., 15 Sep 2003, L. Klimeš 3493 (PRA); Ladakh, Rupshu, Samad Rakchan vill., 33°20'44"N, 78°1'47"E, 4620 m a.s.l., 7 Sep 2005, L. Klimeš 6249 (PRA).

The records from India (Ladakh) were previously identified as A. pamirica Iljin.

General distribution.

Widespread in Central Asia and Tibet (Asian part of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, North India, Mongolia, Tajikistan and E Uzbekistan).

Figures

Figure 16. Distribution map of Atriplex centralasiatica (circles) and A. pallida (stars).