Haloxylon thomsonii Bunge in Boiss., Flora Orient. 4(2): 950 (1879)

Sukhorukov, Alexander P., Liu, Pei-Liang & Kushunina, Maria, 2019, Taxonomic revision of Chenopodiaceae in Himalaya and Tibet, PhytoKeys 116, pp. 1-141 : 121-123

1. Haloxylon thomsonii Bunge in Boiss., Flora Orient. 4(2): 950 (1879) Fig. 52

Haloxylon thomsonii Bunge in Boiss., Flora Orient. 4(2): 950 (1879). Type: n.v.

≡ Arthtophytum thomsonii (Bunge) Ulbr. in Engler & Harms, Nat. Pflanzenfam., ed. 2, 16c: 570 (1934).

≡ Hammada thomsonii (Bunge) Iljin, Bot. Zhurn. 33: 583 (1948). Hammada cashemiriana Iljin in herb. LE (nomen).

Description.

Sub-shrublet up to 30 cm with a robust caudex, branched from the base. Stems glabrous or very shortly papillate, with two furrows. Lower leaves up to 30-35 mm long, fleshy, semi-terete, appressed to the stem or rarely recurved with tufts of hairs in their axils, without mucro or with a hardly noticeable mucro at the top. Bracts usually longer or equal to the flowers. Flowers solitary in the axil of the bract. Perianth segments greenish, 5, at fruiting stage with wings 2.0-2.5 × 2.5-3.5 mm, purple or lilac turning brownish. Anthers 5, ~1 mm long, ovate, apically without an appendage. Style short, 0.25 mm with 2-3 stigmas of the same length. Fruit whitish, depressed orbicular, ~1.5 mm in diameter.

Habitat.

Rocky areas, semi-deserts and deserts at high elevations (3500-5200 m).

Phenology.

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

Distribution.

See Fig. 53 .

Specimens examined.

INDIA: Jammu & Kashmir (selected specimens): Shayuk valley, 24 Oct 1847, T.T. Thomson s.n. (K); Ladakh, Leh, Sep 1856, Schlagintweit 1587 (E); Ladakh, Saspul, 10500 ft a.s.l., 27 Aug 1931, W. Koelz 2706 (DD, E); Ladakh, 12000 ft a.s.l., Aug 1934, Kohli 4 (K); Ladakh, Lamayuru, 12000 ft a.s.l., 26 Jul 1937, C.C. Burt 52 (E); Leh, Phyang, 3500 m a.s.l., 14 Aug 1975, M.V. Viswanathan 54640 (BSD); Saspol, between Khalatse & Leh, 3550 m a.s.l., 5 Jul 1976, Billiet & Leonard 6816 (BR, K); Leh, Upshi, 3600 m a.s.l., 5 Aug 1976, B.M. Wadhwa 59459 (BSD); Ladakh, Stok [Range], 3656 m a.s.l., 5 Aug 1976, Maxwell 1747 (E); Ladakh, Leh, 3680 m a.s.l., 16 Jul 1979, H. Hartmann 2735 (G, MSB137937); Ladakh, Lamyura, 3400 m a.s.l., 26 Aug 1979, Bruhn s.n. (M70021); Ladakh, Kargil, 12 Aug 1982, P.K. Hajra 74055 (BSD); Ladakh, Stok, 3700 m a.s.l., 12 Aug 1992, H. Hartmann 4017 (G, MSB137939); Ladakh, Matho, 3600 m a.s.l., 1 Jul 1999, Beck 307 (MSB157837); Ladakh, Leh, 3650 m a.s.l., 13 Aug 1999, L. Klimeš 440 (PRA); Ladakh, Shyok, Hodtong, 3280-3320 m a.s.l., 26 Sep 2004, L. Klimeš 5064 (PRA).

General distribution.

North India and North Pakistan. Endemic to the Gilgit-Hunza-Indus river basins.

Figures

Figure 52. Reproductive shoot of Haloxylon thomsonii at fruiting stage, with prominent perianth wings. Photograph by H. Hartmann (Jammu & Kashmir, India, 1995).

Figure 53. Distribution map of Haloxylon thomsonii (circles) and Sympegma regelii (stars).