Chenopodiastrum is a genus of herbaceous in the family Amaranthaceae. The genus was formally described in 2012.
Description
The species in genus
Chenopodiastrum are non-aromatic
Annual plant herbs. Young plants have vesicular
, that later collapse and fall down, thus plants becoming glabrescent.
Plant stem grow erect, with lateral branches. The alternate
leaves have a petiole and a thickish triangular, ovate, rhombic-ovate to lanceolate leaf blade. The leaf margin can be irregularly dentate or lobed, or pinnatifid with narrow dentate lobes.
The axillary and terminal consist of small dense glomerules of flowers, arranged spicately or paniculately. Flowers are bisexual or pistillate. They contain 5 basally connate perianth segments with a prominent keel near the apex, and a characteristic strong midrib visible from the inside; a circle of 5 stamens; and an ovary with 2 stigmas.
In fruit, the perianth lobes enclose the fruit or spread. The membraneous pericarp adheres firmly to the seed. The horizontally orientated seeds are lenticular. The black seed coat is often prominently pitted, sometimes rugulose or nearly smooth.
Taxonomy
The genus
Chenopodiastrum was described in 2012 by Suzy Fuentes-Bazan,
Pertti Uotila und
Thomas Borsch (in: A novel phylogeny-based generic classification for
Chenopodium sensu lato, and a tribal rearrangement of Chenopodioideae (Chenopodiaceae). in
Willdenowia 42, p. 14). After
phylogenetic research, this group of species had to be separated from genus
Chenopodium, that would otherwise have been
polyphyletic.
The genus
Chenopodiastrum belongs to the same tribe as
Chenopodium, Tribus
Atripliceae.
Chenopodiastrum consists of 5 species,
Distribution
The species are distributed as follows:
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Chenopodiastrum badachschanicum (Tzvelev) S.Fuentes, Uotila & Borsch, (syn. Chenopodium badachschanicum Tzvelev): In Middle Asia, China, northeastern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, northern India and Nepal.
[ Chenopodium badachschanicum In: Helmut Freitag et al.: Chenopodiaceae. In: Flora of Pakistan, Volume 204 - Missouri Botanical Garden Press & University of Karachi.]
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Chenopodiastrum coronopus (Moq.) S.Fuentes, Uotila & Borsch, (syn. Chenopodium coronopus Moq.): endemic on Canary Islands, Ilhas Selvagens, and probably Madeira.
[Pertti Uotila, 2011: Chenopodiaceae (pro parte majore): Chenopodium coronopus – In: Euro+Med Plantbase - the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity, retrieved 2 July 2013]
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Chenopodiastrum hybridum (L.) S.Fuentes, Uotila & Borsch (syn. Chenopodium hybridum L.):
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Chenopodiastrum murale (L) S.Fuentes, Uotila & Borsch (syn. Chenopodium murale L. ):
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Chenopodiastrum simplex (Torr.) S.Fuentes, Uotila & Borsch (syn. Chenopodium hybridum var. simplex Torr.):
External links
