Atriplex pamirica Iljin, Acta Inst. Bot. Ac. Sc. 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 : 41-42

3. Atriplex pamirica Iljin, Acta Inst. Bot. Ac. Sc. USSR, ser. 1, 2: 124 (1936)

Atriplex pamirica Iljin, Acta Inst. Bot. Ac. Sc. USSR, ser. 1, 2: 124 (1936). Holotype: [TAJIKISTAN] Khargosh, in ripa lac. Kara-kul [bank of Kara-kul Lake], 30 Jul 1878, Yu. Ashurbayev s.n. (LE!).

≡ Atriplex tatarica var. pamirica (Iljin) G.L.Chu in Kung & Tsien, Fl. Reipubl. Pop. Sin. 25(2): 46 (1979).

Taxonomic notes.

Atriplex pamirica is a morphologically highly recognisable species ( Sukhorukov 2006). The varietal rank Atriplex tatarica var. pamirica , proposed by Chu in Kung and Tsien (1979), cannot be accepted. Atriplex tatarica is a taller plant with an aphyllous or bracteose inflorescence. The results of molecular phylogeny have confirmed the specific rank of A. pamirica ( Kadereit et al. 2010).

Description.

Annual up to 30(50) cm, branched at the base with ascending stems but not forming tumble-weed habit at the fruiting stage. Stems and leaves covered with white and brown bladder hairs. Leaves grey on both sides, oblong or spatulate, entire or crisp. Inflorescence leafy. Bract-like cover enclosing the female flowers 3.0-7.0 mm long, rhombic, entire or dentate with concrescent (up to 1/3-1/2) valves, valves sessile or pedicellate (pedicels up to 3 mm), sclerified and inflated in the lower part, abaxial surface smooth or with two small outgrowths. Seeds heteromorphic: red seeds convex, 1.0-1.7 mm, brown seeds flattened, 1.2-1.8 mm.

Habitat.

Screes or roadsides at altitudes of 3500-5300 m a.s.l.

Phenology.

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

Distribution.

See Fig. 17 .

Specimens examined.

INDIA: Jammu & Kashmir: Ladakh, Rupshu Region, Samad Rakchan, Pongunagu, 33°22'N, 77°57'E, 4670 m a.s.l., 29 Aug 1998, L. Klimeš 254 (PRA); Ladakh, Rupshu Region, Tso Moriri, 5170-5200 m a.s.l., 12 Aug 2001, L. Klimeš 1335 (PRA); Ladakh, Pangong Region, Spangmik, 4300-4320 m a.s.l., 9 Sep 2002, L. Klimeš 2678 (PRA).

General distribution.

Tajikistan, Afghanistan, NE Pakistan and N India. Most likely, present in NW Xizang (China).

Figures

Figure 17. Distribution map of Atriplex pamirica (circles), A. hortensis (stars) and Microgynoecium tibeticum (triangles).