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Saxaul
''Haloxylon'' 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. According to Dmitry Ushakov, the name borrowed from the Kazakh "seksevil". In modern Kazakh language, the shrub is called "seksewil". According to the school etymological dictionary, the name ''saksaul'' was borrowed in the 19th century from the Turkic languages. Description The species of genus ''Haloxylon'' are shrubs or small trees (rarely up to ) tall, with a thick trunk and many branches. The branches of the current year are green, from erect to pendant. The leaves are reduced to small scales. The inflorescences are short shoots borne on the stems of the previous year. The flowers are very small, as long or shorter than the bracteoles, bisexual or male. The two stigmas are very short. In fruit, the perianth segments develop spreading wings. The fruit with wings is about in diameter. The seed is about in diameter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saxaul Sparrow
The saxaul sparrow (''Passer ammodendri'') is a passerine bird of the Old World sparrow, sparrow family (biology), family Passeridae, found in parts of Central Asia. At and , it is among the larger sparrows. Both sexes have plumage ranging from dull grey to sandy brown, and pale brown legs. Females have less boldly coloured plumage and bills, lacking the pattern of black stripes on the male's head. The head markings of both sexes make the saxaul sparrow distinctive, and unlikely to be confused with any other bird. Bird vocalization, Vocalisations include a comparatively soft and musical chirping call, a song, and a flight call. Three subspecies are recognised, differing in the overall tone of their plumage and in the head striping of the female. The subspecies ''ammodendri'' occurs in the west of the saxaul sparrow's range, while ''stoliczkae'' and ''nigricans'' occur in the east. This distribution falls into six probably disjunct areas across Central Asia, from central Turkmeni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Haloxylon Ammodendron
''Haloxylon ammodendron'', the saxaul, black saxaul, sometimes sacsaoul or saksaul ( rus, саксау́л, r=saksaúl, which is from kk, сексеуіл, r=seksewil), is a plant belonging to the family Amaranthaceae. Description The saxaul ranges in size from a large shrub to a small tree, , rarely tall. It has a brown trunk up to in diameter. The wood is heavy and coarse and the bark is spongy and water-soaked. The branches of the current year are green; older branches are brown, or gray to white. The leaves are reduced to very small cusp-like scales, so that the plant appears nearly leafless. The infloresences consist of short lateral shoots borne on stems of the previous year. The flowers are bisexual or male, very small, as long as or shorter than the bracteoles. The flowering period is from March to April. In fruit, the perianth segments develop spreading pale brown or white wings. The diameter of the winged fruit is about . The seed is in diameter. The fruiting peri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aral Sea
The Aral Sea ( ; kk, Арал теңізі, Aral teñızı; uz, Орол денгизи, Orol dengizi; kaa, Арал теңизи, Aral teńizi; russian: Аральское море, Aral'skoye more) was an endorheic basin, endorheic lake lying between Kazakhstan (Aktobe Region, Aktobe and Kyzylorda Regions) in the north and Uzbekistan (Karakalpakstan autonomous region) in the south which began shrinking in the 1960s and had largely dried up by the 2010s. The name roughly translates as "Sea of Islands", referring to over 1,100 islands that had dotted its waters. In the Mongolic languages, Mongolic and Turkic languages, ''aral'' means "island, archipelago". The Aral Sea drainage basin encompasses Uzbekistan and parts of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and Iran. Formerly the fourth largest lake in the world with an area of , the Aral Sea began shrinking in the 1960s after the rivers that fed it were diverted by Soviet Union, Soviet irrigation proje ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salsoloideae
The Salsoloideae are a subfamily of the Amaranthaceae, formerly in family Chenopodiaceae. Description These are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs and some trees. 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 tribe Caroxyleae, the stamens have vesiculose anther appendages, discolor with anthers, that probably play a role for insect pollination. In tribe Salsoleae the anther appendages are absent or small and inconspicuous. Distribution The area with most species (center of diversity) are the deserts and semideserts of Central-Asia and the Middle East. Distribution of the subfamily 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) or tolerate salty soils (halophytes), some are ruderals. Photos ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sinkiang
Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest of the country at the crossroads of Central Asia and East Asia. Being the largest province-level division of China by area and the 8th-largest country subdivision in the world, Xinjiang spans over and has about 25 million inhabitants. Xinjiang borders the countries of Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The rugged Karakoram, Kunlun and Tian Shan mountain ranges occupy much of Xinjiang's borders, as well as its western and southern regions. The Aksai Chin and Trans-Karakoram Tract regions, both administered by China, are claimed by India. Xinjiang also borders the Tibet Autonomous Region and the provinces of Gansu and Qinghai. The most well-known route of the historic Silk Road ran throug ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the former Soviet Union, Soviet republics of the Soviet Union, republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, which are colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as the countries all have names ending with the Persian language, Persian suffix "-stan", meaning "land of". The current geographical location of Central Asia was formerly part of the historic region of Turkestan, Turkistan, also known as Turan. In the pre-Islamic and early Islamic eras ( and earlier) Central Asia was inhabited predominantly by Iranian peoples, populated by Eastern Iranian languages, Eastern Iranian-speaking Bactrians, Sogdians, Khwarezmian language, Chorasmians and the semi-nomadic Scythians and Dahae. After expansion by Turkic peop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salsola Stocksii
''Salsola'' is a genus of the subfamily Salsoloideae in the family Amaranthaceae. The genus ''sensu stricto'' is distributed in central and southwestern Asia, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. A common name of various members of this genus and related genera is saltwort, for their salt tolerance. The genus name ''Salsola'' is from the Latin ''salsus'', meaning "salty". Description The species of ''Salsola'' are mostly subshrubs, shrubs, small trees, and rarely annual plant, annuals. The leaves are mostly alternate, rarely opposite, simple, and entire. The bisexual flowers have five tepals and five stamens. The pistil ends in two stigma (botany), stigmata. The fruit is spherical with a spiral embryo and no Ovule, perisperm. Systematics The genus name ''Salsola'' was first published in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, Linnaeus in ''Species Plantarum''. The type species is ''Salsola soda'' L. The genus ''Salsola'' belongs to the Tribe (biology), tribe Salsoleae ''s.s.'' of the subfamily S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hammada (plant)
''Hammada'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Amaranthaceae. It is also in the Salsoloideae subfamily. Although it is a very unclear and unsorted genus with many species that have later been classed as synonyms. Its native range is Central Asia and is found in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey and Uzbekistan. They are often found growing in alkaline or saline habitats. Description They are perennial plants, with a glabrous (smooth) wood (only at the base). They can grow up to tall.Michael Zohary The weed-like plants have regular, minute, or small, cyclic flowers. The flowers have no petals, but 5 sepals which are united at the base. It has 5 stamens and the ovary is positioned superior and consists of 2 united carpels. Which late matures into a fruit (or seed capsule). Known species According to Plants of the World Online; * ''Hammada eriantha'' Botsch. (from Uzbekistan) * ''Hammada ramosissima'' (Boiss. ex Eig) Iljin (from Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Psammophyte
A psammophyte is a plant that grows in sandy and often unstable soils. Psammophytes are commonly found growing on beaches, deserts, and sand dunes. Because they thrive in these challenging or inhospitable habitats, psammophytes are considered extremophiles, and are further classified as a type of psammophile. Etymology The word "psammophyte" consists of two Greek roots, ''psamm-'', meaning "sand", and ''-phyte'', meaning "plant". The term "psammophyte" first entered English in the early twentieth century via German botanical terminology. Description Psammophytes are found in many different plant families, so may not share specific morphological or phytochemical traits. They also come in a variety of plant life-forms, including ephemeral plant, annual ephemerals, perennials, subshrubs, Raunkiær plant life-form#Hemicryptophytes, hemicryptophytes, and many others. What the many diverse psammophytes have in common is a resilience to harsh or rapidly fluctuating environmental facto ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kansu
Gansu (, ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kansu) is a provinces of China, province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Tibetan and Loess Plateau, Loess plateaus and borders Mongolia (Govi-Altai Province), Inner Mongolia and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south and Shaanxi to the east. The Yellow River passes through the southern part of the province. Part of Gansu's territory is located in the Gobi Desert. The Qilian Mountains, Qilian mountains are located in the south of the Province. Gansu has a population of 26 million, ranking List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, 22nd in China. Its population is mostly Han Chinese, Han, along with Hui people, Hui, Dongxiangs, Dongxiang and Tibetan people, Tibetan minorities. The most common languag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Perianth
The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepals when called a perigone. The term ''perianth'' is derived from Greek περί (, "around") and άνθος (, "flower"), while ''perigonium'' is derived from περί () and γόνος (, "seed, sex organs"). In the mosses and liverworts (Marchantiophyta), the perianth is the sterile tubelike tissue that surrounds the female reproductive structure (or developing sporophyte). Flowering plants In flowering plants, the perianth may be described as being either dichlamydeous/heterochlamydeous in which the calyx and corolla are clearly separate, or homochlamydeous, in which they are indistinguishable (and the sepals and petals are collectively referred to as tepals). When the perianth is in two whorls, it is described as biseriate. While the c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alexander Bunge
Alexander Georg von Bunge (russian: Алекса́ндр Андре́евич Бу́нге; – ) was a Russian botanist. He is best remembered for scientific expeditions into Asia and especially Siberia. Early life and education Bunge was born under the name, Alexander Andreevič von Bunge on in Kyiv as second son of a family that belonged to the German minority in Tsarist Russia. HIs father, Andreas Theodor was a pharmacist who had emigrated from East Prussia to Russia with his grandfather in the 18th century and his mother, Elisabeth von Bunge, . They moved to Dorpat in 1815 after his father's death in 1814 and attended highschool from 1818 to 1821. He was educated at Dorpat and where he passed through the gymnasium during the period of 1821–1825. Then, he studied medicine and obtained his Doctorate of Medicine from University of Tartu on 1825. He also studied botany there under Carl Friedrich von Ledebour and completed his thesis entitled ''De relatione methodi plan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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