Salsoloideae
Encyclopedia
Amaranthaceae
The flowering plant family Amaranthaceae, the Amaranth family, contains about 176 genera and 2,400 species.- Description :Most of these species are herbs or subshrubs; very few are trees or climbers. Some species are succulent....
, formerly in family Chenopodiaceae
Chenopodiaceae
Chenopodiaceae were a family of flowering plants, also called the Goosefoot Family. They are now included within family Amaranthaceae. The vast majority of Chenopods are weeds, and many are salt and drought tolerant. A few food crops also belong to the family: spinach, beets, chard, quinoa, and...
.
Description
These are herbsHerb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
, subshrubs
Subshrub
A subshrub or dwarf shrub is a short woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a similar term.It is distinguished from a shrub by its ground-hugging stems and lower height, with overwintering perennial woody growth typically less than 10–20 cm tall, or by being only weakly woody and/or persisting...
, shrubs
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
and some trees
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
. Stems and leaves are often succulent. The ovary contains a spiral embryo.
In most genera, scarious wings develop at the outside of the fruiting perianth, allowing for dispersal by the wind (anemochory).
In Tribus Caroxyloneae, the stamens have vesiculose anther appendages, discolor with anthers, that probably play a role for insect pollination. In Tribus Salsoleae the anther appendages are absent or small and unconspicuous.
Distribution
The area with most species (center of diversityCenter of diversity
A center of diversity is an area that has a high degree of genetic variation for a particular species or genus of plants that can also be the center of origin for that species. The two areas often, but not always, coincide; the degree of coincidence remains the subject of debate...
) are the deserts and semideserts of Central-Asia and the Middle East. Distribution of the subspecies extends to the Mediterranean, to Middle-Europe, north and south Africa, and Australia, some species have also been introduced to America. Many species grow in dry habitats (xerophytes
Xerophyte
A xerophyte or xerophytic organism is a plant which has adapted to survive in an environment that lacks water, such as a desert. Xerophytic plants may have adapted shapes and forms or internal functions that reduce their water loss or store water during long periods of dryness...
) or tolerate salty soils (halophytes
Halophyte
A halophyte is a plant that grows where it is affected by salinity in the root area or by salt spray, such as in saline semi-deserts, mangrove swamps, marshes and sloughs, and seashores. An example of a halophyte is the salt marsh grass Spartina alterniflora . Relatively few plant species are...
), some are ruderals
Ruderal species
A ruderal species is a plant species that is first to colonize disturbed lands. The disturbance may be natural , or due to human influence – constructional , or agricultural .Ruderal species typically dominate the disturbed area...
.
Photosynthesis pathway
Die Salsoloideae are C4-plantsC4 carbon fixation
C4 carbon fixation is one of three biochemical mechanisms, along with and CAM photosynthesis, used in carbon fixation. It is named for the 4-carbon molecule present in the first product of carbon fixation in these plants, in contrast to the 3-carbon molecule products in plants. fixation is an...
(with a few exceptions in Salsoleae). In Caroxyloneae there ist exclusively C4 of the NAD-malic enzyme subtype. In Salsoleae there ist mostly NADP-malic enzyme subype.
Taxonomy
The type species of subfamily Salsoloideae is SalsolaSalsola
Salsola is a genus of the subfamily Salsoloideae in the family Amaranthaceae. A common name of various members of this genus is saltwort, for its salt tolerance.-Description:...
L. According to recent research, the former classification did not reflect the phylogenetic relationship, so that the subfamily had to be reclassified. The tribe Camphorosmeae is now treated as own subfamily Camphorosmoideae
Camphorosmoideae
The Camphorosmoideae is a species-rich subfamily of the Amaranthaceae, formerly in family Chenopodiaceae.- Description :The members of Camphorosmoideae are mostly subshrubs or annuals. They differ from the similar Salsoloideae by the absence of bracteoles. Stigmas are filiform with papillae on the...
.
- Tribus Caroxyloneae Akhani & E. H. Roalson
- Caroxylon Thunb., with 43 species
- Climacoptera Botsch., with 41 species
- Halarchon Bunge, with one species
- Halarchon vesiculosum (Moq.) Bunge
- Halimocnemis C. A. Mey., with 27 species (Syn. Gamanthus Bunge, Halanthium C. Koch, Halotis Bunge)
- Halocharis Moq., with 7 species
- Kaviria Akhani & E. H. Roalson, with 10 species
- Nanophyton Less., with ca. 10 species
- Ofaiston Raf., with one species
- Ofaiston monandrum (Pall.) Moq.
- Petrosimonia Bunge, with 12 species
- Piptoptera Bunge, with one species
- Piptoptera turkestana Bunge
- Physandra Botsch., with one species
- Physandra halimocnemis (Botsch.) Botsch,
- Pyankovia Akhani & E. H. Roalson, with one species
- Pyankovia brachiata (Pall.) Akhani & E. H. Roalson
- Pyankovia brachiata (Pall.) Akhani & E. H. Roalson
- Tribus Salsoleae s.s.
- AnabasisAnabasis (plant)Anabasis is a genus of the family Amaranthaceae .- Systematics :The genus name Anabasis was published in 1753 by Carl von Linné in Species Plantarum. Type species is Anabasis aphylla L....
L., with 29 species - Arthrophytum Schrenk, with 9 species
- Cornulaca Delile, with 5 species
- Cyathobasis Aellen
- Girgensohnia Bunge ex Fenzl, with 4 species
- HalogetonHalogetonHalogeton is a plant genus of the family Amaranthaceae. The genus name, Halogeton, derives from the Greek words for "salt" and for "neighbor."-Description:...
C. A. Mey, with 5 species. (Syn. Agathophora (Fenzl) Bunge, Micropeplis Bunge) - HalothamnusHalothamnusHalothamnus is a genus of the former Chenopodiaceae that is now included into the family Amaranthaceae. The scientific name means saltbush, from the Greek ἅλς "salt" and θαμνος "bush"...
Jaub. & Spach, with 21 species - HaloxylonHaloxylonHaloxylon is a genus of shrubs or small trees, belonging to the plant family Amaranthaceae. Haloxylon and its species are known by the common name saxaul.-Description:...
Bunge, with 2 species- Haloxylon ammondendron
- Haloxylon persicumHaloxylon persicumHaloxylon persicum, the white saxaul, is a small tree belonging to the family Amaranthaceae. Its range is Western Asia, including Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Sinai, South Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Oman, UAE, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, to Central Asia , and China .-Description:The Haloxylon persicum has...
- Hammada Iljin, with 12 species
- Horaninowia Fisch. & C. A. Mey, with 6 species
- KaliKali (plant)Kali is a genus of the subfamily Salsoloideae in the family Amaranthaceae. Common names of various members of this genus include tumbleweed, for its wind-blown seed dispersal habit; and Tartar thistle and Russian thistle for its origins....
Mill., with 13 species:- Kali soda Moench
- Kali tragus (L.) Scop.)
- Lagenantha Chiov. (Syn.: Gyroptera Botsch.) Classification not sure.
- Noaea Moq., with 3 species
- Nucularia Batt., Classification not sure.
- Rhaphidophyton Iljin , with one species
- Rhaphidophyton regelii (Bunge) Iljin
- SalsolaSalsolaSalsola is a genus of the subfamily Salsoloideae in the family Amaranthaceae. A common name of various members of this genus is saltwort, for its salt tolerance.-Description:...
L., with 25 species. (Syn. Darneilla Maire & Weiller, Fadenia Aellen & Townsend, Neocaspia Tzvelev, Hypocylix Wol., Seidlitzia Bunge ex Boiss.) - Sympegma Bunge, with one species
- Sympegma regelii Bunge
- Traganum Del., with 2 species
- Traganopsis Maire et Wilczek, with one species
- Traganopsis glomerata Maire & Wilczek
- Turania Akhani & E. H. Roalson, with 4 species
- Xylosalsola Tzvelev, with 4 species
- Anabasis
- Fredolia (Coss. & Durieu ex Bunge) Ulbr., Classification not sure.
- Iljinia Korovin, Classification not sure.