Chenopodium novopokrovskyanum (Aellen) Uotila, Ann. Bot. Fenn. 30: 192 (1993)

Sukhorukov, Alexander P., Liu, Pei-Liang & Kushunina, Maria, 2019, Taxonomic revision of Chenopodiaceae in Himalaya and Tibet, PhytoKeys 116, pp. 1-141 : 26-27

7. Chenopodium novopokrovskyanum (Aellen) Uotila, Ann. Bot. Fenn. 30: 192 (1993)

≡ C. album L. subsp. novopokrovskyanum Aellen, Trudy Rostov. Obl. Biol. Obsch. 2: 3 (1938). Lectotype ( Uotila 1993): [TURKMENISTAN] Regio Transcaspica, Aschabad, in ruderatis [in dump areas], 25 Jun 1900, P. Sintenis 527 (S, isolectotypes G-DC! G75415! G75426! K! LD, LE!).

Taxonomic notes.

This species was described from the deserts of Turkmenistan and the identity of the populations growing in the Central Asian plains and in the Himalayan Mountains is not obvious despite the morphological similarities. The material from Himalaya is scarce and collected in the blooming or early fruiting stages. Further investigations are needed to establish the taxonomic status of Himalayan plants named C. novopokrovskyanum .

Description.

The species is similar to C. album , but the leaves are bi-coloured (green or greyish adaxially and white-farinose abaxially), narrowly oblong to lanceolate. Fruit 1.0-1.1 mm in diameter, ca. 0.6 mm thick, seed almost smooth with indistinctly polygonal ultra-sculpture and indistinct pits (Fig. 10A, B ).

Phenology.

Flowering: June-September; fruiting: August-October.

Distribution.

See Fig. 9 .

Specimens examined.

INDIA: Jammu & Kashmir: Ladakh, Leh, 3400 m a.s.l., 20 Aug 1979, Bruhn s.n. (MSB144211); Ladakh, Sabu [Saboo village], 3680 m a.s.l., 15 Jul 1992, H. Hartmann 4013 (MSB137924).

General distribution.

SE Europe, Central Asia, North Himalaya, Karakoram.

Figures

Figure 9. Distribution map of Chenopodium bengalense (circles), C. novopokrovskyanum (triangles) and C. atripliciforme (stars).

Figure 10. SEM micrographs of Chenopodium seeds. A, B C. novopokrovskyanum C, D C. atripliciforme E, F C. perttii. Magnification: 50 x (A, C, E), 200 x (B, D, F).