Salsola tragus L., Cent. Pl. 2: 13 (1756)

Sukhorukov, Alexander P., Liu, Pei-Liang & Kushunina, Maria, 2019, Taxonomic revision of Chenopodiaceae in Himalaya and Tibet, PhytoKeys 116, pp. 1-141 : 114

4. Salsola tragus L., Cent. Pl. 2: 13 (1756)

Salsola tragus L., Cent. Pl. 2: 13 (1756). Lectotype (designated by Degen 1937): Herb. Linn. 315.3 (LINN). The list of the synonyms is extremely large for this species ( Rilke 1999), but some varieties and species described from Europe or Central Asia require additional study.

Description.

Annual up to 70 cm high. Stem branched from the base, finely papillate or glabrous as well as the leaves. Leaves 20.0-80.0 × 1.0-2.0 mm, linear, with a mucro (1.5)2.0-3.5 mm long. Flowers in axillary clusters and arranged in the main inflorescence. Clusters (usually located below the main inflorescence) consist of two often unequal female flowers, each flower supported by a bract and two bracteoles and additional bracts are sometimes present in the clusters; bracts and bracteoles fused in their basal part; perianth segments free, membranous, r-shaped, their tips appressed to each other, not hardened, not forming a conus, with small or hardly noticeable, red to pinkish wings in the flexure; styles with stigmas ca. 1.5 mm long; fruits 1.0-1.6 mm, depressed roundish to ovoid. Flowers in the main inflorescence with a free bract and two bracteoles (shorter than bract or equal in length), hermaphrodite; perianth segments membranous, tubuliform (not r-shaped), 3.0-4.0 mm long at fruiting stage, their lower part marginally glabrous or minutely fimbriate; segment tips hyaline, forming a convergent, glabrous conus 1.0-1.5 mm long with well-developed, horizontally located or slightly recurved, entire to crisp wings in the flexure; three outer segments develop roundish wings and two inner segments have narrower, lanceolate outgrowths (the whole diaspore with the perianth wings is (6.0)7.0-10.0 mm across); anthers 0.6-0.8 mm long (on specimens from our region); styles with stigmas 1.0-1.5 mm; fruits 1.5-1.8 mm, roundish. Seeds with horizontal embryo.

Habitat.

Rocky or sandy places at altitudes of 2700-4200 m.

Phenology.

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

Distribution.

See Fig. 48 .

Specimens examined.

CHINA: Xizang: Ngari Prefecture: Zanda (Zhada) County, Diyag (Diya), Gulang, 2900 m a.s.l., 2 Jul 1976, Qinghai-Tibet Team 76-8156 (PE00528531);

INDIA: Jammu & Kashmir: Shayuk [Shyok] valley, 30 Oct 1847, T.T. Thomson s.n. (K); Nubra valley toward Leh, 15 Sep 1848, T.T. Thomson s.n. (K); Srinagar, [without date] Benham s.n. (BM000016607); Ladakh, Leh to Kaltse, Jul 1856, Schlagintweit 1034 & 1507 (BM000016644, P05007283); Ladakh, Nubra valley, Diskit, 3200 m a.s.l., 16 Aug 1998, G.S. Goraya et al. 1091 (BSD); Ladakh, Tirit vill., 3200 m a.s.l., 18 Aug 1976, B.M. Wadhwa 59979 (BSD); Leh, 3620 m a.s.l., 13 Jul 1992, H. Hartmann 4018 (G); Ladakh, Indus valley, Leh, 3650 m a.s.l., 13 Aug 1999, L. Klimeš 463 (PRA); Ladakh, Shyok (W & C), Agham, 3320 m a.s.l., 16 Sep 2001, L. Klimeš 1877 (PRA); Ladakh, Suru Region, Kargil, 2720-2860 m a.s.l., 18 Sep 2004, L. Klimeš 4977 (PRA).

General distribution.

Temperate Eurasia, North Africa, alien in the Americas and Australia.

Figures

Figure 48. Distribution map of Salsola tragus (circles), S. austrotibetica (stars) and S. monoptera (triangles).