Corispermum lepidocarpum Grubov, Not. Syst. Herb. Inst. Bot. Ac. Sci. URSS 21: 125 (1961)

Sukhorukov, Alexander P., Liu, Pei-Liang & Kushunina, Maria, 2019, Taxonomic revision of Chenopodiaceae in Himalaya and Tibet, PhytoKeys 116, pp. 1-141 : 89

7. Corispermum lepidocarpum Grubov, Not. Syst. Herb. Inst. Bot. Ac. Sci. URSS 21: 125 (1961)

Holotype.

[CHINA, Xizang] SE Tibet, Temo, Tsangpo valley, 9500 ft a.s.l., 6 Sep 1938, F. Ludlow, G. Sherriff & G. Taylor 6227 (BM000950579! isotype E00317866! clastotypes G! LE!).

Description.

Annual up to 20 cm, branched at the base, almost glabrous or glabrescent. Leaves lanceolate or linear, 2.0-4.0 × 0.2-0.4 cm, transforming into imbricate bracts. Inflorescence usually elongated. Bracts lanceolate or linear, often recurved, not completely covering the fruit laterally. Fruits 4.0-5.0 × 3.2-3.5 mm with stellate hairs, pericarp surface often with groups of dark-brown (visually almost black) tanniniferous cells; fruit apex deeply emarginate with two lateral crown-like outgrowths (Fig. 36B ). Wing clearly visible (0.85-1.10 mm), irregularly toothed, narrowly triangular in cross-section. Pericarp detachments not detected. Sclereids in medium fruit part with 1-2 outer layers located perpendicular to the fruit axis and 1-3 inner layers (orientated parallel to the fruit axis).

Habitat.

Screes and sandy riverbeds; 3000-4000 m a.s.l.

Phenology.

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

Distribution.

See Fig. 37 .

Specimens examined.

CHINA: Xizang: Shannan Prefecture: Gyaca (Jiacha) County, 3200 m a.s.l., 25 Aug 1972, Tibet Chinese Herbal Medicine Survey Team 4393 (PE00540398); Gonggar (Gongga) County, Jêdêxoi (Jiedexiu) town, 31 Aug 1975, anonym 75-1532 (PE01869900, PE01869902); Way from Gyaca (Jiacha) County to Mainling (Milin) County, 3300 m a.s.l., 18 Sep 1975, Qinghai-Tibet Team 7953 (PE00540394); Nyingchi Prefecture: Mainling (Milin) County, nr [Pai Town] Xuega, 3200 m a.s.l., 30 Aug 1960, Xia & Zhu 394 (PE00540399); Nang (Lang) County, 3050 m a.s.l., 17 Aug 1972, Tibet Chinese Herbal Medicine Survey Team 4413 (PE00540396); Mainling (Milin) County, nr Jiage, 23 Sep 1974, Qinghai-Tibet Team Vegetation Group 3368 (PE00540395); Mainling (Milin) County, Pai distr. (Town), Mt. Doxong (Duoxiong), 2980 m a.s.l., 11 Aug 1975, Qinghai-Tibet Team Additional Group 751308 (PE00540400, PE00540401).

General distribution.

Endemic to South Tibet.

Figures

Figure 36. SEM micrographs of Corispermum fruits: A C. lhasaense B C. lepidocarpum C C. gelidum D C. tibeticum. Magnification: 30 x.

Figure 37. Distribution map of Corispermum lepidocarpum (circles), C. gelidum (stars) and C. tibeticum (triangles).