New infrageneric taxa of Corispermum L. (Chenopodiaceae)

2 Pages·1994·1.1 MB·

by  S L Mosyakin

New Infrageneric Taxa of Corispermum L. (Chenopodiaceae)
Sergei L. Mosyakin
N. G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, 2 Tereshchenkivska Str., Kiev, 252601 Ukraine
ABSTRACT. Two new infrageneric taxa of Coris¬ wingless patelliform, almost round in outline fruit
permum L. (Chenopodiaceae) are described: sections without protruding style bases, and nonreduced peri¬
Patellisperma and Declinata. Geographical distri¬ anth segments. It seems to be quite close to the
butions and taxonomic comments are provided. hypothetical ancestor of the genera Corispermum
and Anthochlamys Fenzl.
Corispermum L. (Chenopodiaceae, Corisper-
meae) is a relatively compact and clearly defined Corispermum sect. Declinata Mosyakin, sect,
genus consisting of ca. 60 almost obligately psam- nov. TYPE: C. declinatum Stephan ex Iljin.
mophytic species distributed primarily in the arid
Fructus elongati; glabri vel stellato pilosi, apteri vel
regions of Asia, with some species also native to
alati; apice rotundati vel saepissime rostrati, basi stylorurn
temperate Europe, northern Asia, and North Amer¬ apiculati vel subtruncati. Perianthium plerumque raono-
ica. Unfortunately, with the exception of three series phyllum.
described by Klokov (1960) in his monograph of
Fruits elongate, at least 2 (1.5) times as long as
some East European species, no infrageneric system
wide; glabrous or covered with branched (sometimes
has been proposed for this genus.
almost stellate) hairs; winged or wingless at margin;
The present paper may be regarded as the pre¬
in most cases with triangular apex protruding toward
liminary outline of the infrageneric classification of
bases of styles, sometimes rotundate. Perianth seg¬
Corispermum (at the sectional level), since the prop¬
ment 1.
er placement of many insufficiently known species
(e.g., sometimes represented in herbaria only by type Species. This section consists of at least two spe¬
collections) is not completely clear and remains a cies: Corispermum declinatum Stephan ex Iljin and
task for further study. It is especially true for Central C. tylocarpum Hance sensu lato (including C. ros-
and East Asian species (see Iljin, 1929; Tsien Cho- tratum Baranov & B. Skvortsov and C. gmelinii
po & Ma Cheng-gung, 1979). Bunge).
Distribution. Arid regions of Asia (southern Si¬
beria, Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan); also adventive
Corispermum sect. Patellisperma Mosyakin, in eastern Europe (C. declinatum).
sect. nov. TYPE: C. patelliforme Iljin. This deviate section possibly is closely related to
some Asian species of Corispermum sect. Coris¬
Fructus rotundati vel subrotundati, apteri, erostrati.
permum, namely C. sibiricum Iljin and C. cande¬
Perianthium triphyllum. Folia lata; oblongo-elliptica, ob-
longo-obovata, oblanceolata vel elliptica. labrum Iljin. Some other Chinese species of Cor¬
ispermum (C. macrocarpum Bunge ex Maximovicz,
Fruit (achene) patelliform (saucer-shaped), rotun-
C. stenolepis Kitagawa, C. platypterum Kitagawa,
date or almost rotundate in outline, wingless, without
and C. huanghoense Tsien & C. G. Ma) also have
distinct apical beak (remains of style bases). Leaves
an elongate fruit body, and seem to be related to
comparatively broad, from almost obovate to oblan-
the section Declinata. However, their fruits are
ceolate.
broadly winged and often emarginate at the apex.
Species. This is a monotypic section consisting After additional investigation these species may pos¬
only of the species Corispermum patelliforme Iljin. sibly be separated into a section or subsection of
Distribution. Arid regions of Central Asia (west¬ their own.
ern China, Mongolia). Corispermum declinatum has been constantly
This section seems to be the most primitive one erroneously cited as “C. declinatum Stephan ex
within the genus. Corispermum patelliforme has Steven.” However, Steven (1817) never accepted
some archaic characters, such as comparatively broad C. declinatum: he cited it as a synonym of C.
leaves with 3-5 veins (in most of the other repre¬ hyssopifolium var. a. The first valid publication of
sentatives of Corispermum the leaves are 1-veined, the name appeared in Iljin (1928). Thus, the com¬
rarely 3-veined, and more narrow), leaflike bracts. bination C. declinatum var. tylocarpum (Hance)
Novon 4: 153-154. 1994.
154 Novon
Tsien & C. G. Ma (1979) is invalid, because C. Literature Cited
declinatum was described later than C. tylocarpum. Iljin, M. M. 1928. Corispermum declinatum Steph.,
kak novyy sornyak v posevakh Evropeyskoy chasti
Corispermum sect. Corispermum. TYPE: C. SSSR (Corispermum declinatum as a new weed in
the European part of the USSR). Trudy Prikl. Bot.
hyssopifolium L. (lectotype of the genus).
Genet. Selekts. (Leningrad) 19(2): 69-72.
This section should be divided into at least seven -. 1929. Novye vidy roda Corispermum L. (Cor-
isperrni generis species novae). Izv. Glavn. Bot. Sada
subsections. However, the description of these sub¬
SSSR 28: 638-654.
sections should be accompanied by a detailed anal¬
Klokov, M. V. 1960. O dneprovskikh i nekotorykh
ysis of taxonomic relationships at the species level. drugikh vidakh roda Corispermum L. (De Corisper-
The genus is currently under revision, and new inis Borysthenicis necnon aliis nonnulis.) Bot. Mater.
subsections will be validated in the forthcoming treat¬ Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk SSSR 20:
90-136.
ments for European and North American taxa.
Steven, C. 1817. Observationes in Plantas Rossicas et
Acknowledgments. I thank Bruce D. Parfitt and descriptiones specierum novarum. Mem. Soc. Imp.
Naturalistes Moscou 5: 334-338.
Amy Scheuler McPherson for helpful comments and
Tsien Cho-po & Ma Cheng-gung. 1979. Corispermum
discussion. This article was prepared during my re¬ L. Pp. 50-75 in Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae.
cent visit to the Missouri Botanical Garden, and I Tomus 25(2). Beijing.
am grateful to the staff for their hospitality.