Halothamnus Subaphyllus

''Halothamnus subaphyllus'' is a species of the plant genus ''Halothamnus'', that belongs to the subfamily Salsoloideae within the family Amaranthaceae, (formerly Chenopodiaceae). It occurs in Southwest and Central Asia.

Morphology

''Halothamnus subaphyllus'' is a sub-shrub 0,5-1,2 m high (on sand also shrub up to 2,5 m high), with blueish-green or green branches. The lower leaves are half-terete, fleshy, linear and up to 35 mm long, the upper ones are scale-like, only 1–4 mm long, basally and laterally and mostly at the tip with narrow membranaceous margin. The bracts resemble the leaves, at the upper flowers they are shorter than bracteoles and flowers, with membranaceous margin all around. The bracteoles are scale-like, transverse-oval, with membranaceous margin all around, adjacent to the flowers, together with the bract forming a low cup. The flowers are 3,2-5,0 mm long with oval tepals, the stigmas are truncate at their tip. The winged fruit is 11–17 mm in diameter, their wings inserted in or a bit below the middle. The tube of the fruit is dish-like, narrowed to its base, with prominent ridges, at its bottom with flat, oval to round pits.

file:Halothamnus subaphyllus fruit 1.JPG, fruit (lateral view)
file:Halothamnus subaphyllus fruit 2.JPG, fruit (bottom)

The species comprises three subspecies: the typical subsp. ''subaphyllus''; subsp. ''psammophilus'', a shrub up to 2,5 m with shorter and thinner flower-bearing branches and longer upper leaves; and subsp. ''charifii'', with conspicuous tufts of long curly hairs in the axils of the leaves.

Taxonomy

The species has been first described in 1833 by Carl Anton von Meyer as ''Salsola subaphylla'' (In: Karl Eduard Eichwald: Plantarum novarum vel minus cognitarum, 2, Leipzig, Voss, p. 34, tab, 24). In 1981, Victor Petrovič Botschantzev included it into the genus ''Halothamnus'' (In: Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk SSSR = Novosti Sistematiki Vysshikh Rastenii. Moscow & Leningrad 18, p. 171). Within the genus, it belongs to the section ''Halothamnus''.

''Halothamnus subaphyllus'' is classified into three subspecies:
;''Halothamnus subaphyllus'' subsp. ''subaphyllus''
Synonyms:
*''Salsola subaphylla'' C.Meyer
*''Caroxylon subaphyllum'' (C.Meyer) Moq.
*''Salsola subaphylla'' C.Meyer var. ''typica'' Drobov, nom. inval
*''Salsola subaphylla'' C.Meyer subsp. ''typica'' (Drobov) Iljin, nom. inval
*''Aellenia subaphylla'' (C.Meyer) Aellen
*''Aellenia subaphylla'' (C.Meyer) Aellen subsp. ''eu-subaphylla'' Aellen, nom.inval
*''Aellenia subaphylla'' (C.Meyer) Botsch. ex Aellen, quoad nom.
*''Aellenia subaphylla'' (C.Meyer) Aellen subsp. ''subaphylla''
*''Aellenia subaphylla'' (C.Meyer) Aellen subsp. ''sabetii'' Aellen
*''Salsola subaphylla'' C.Meyer var. ''arenaria'' Drobov
*''Salsola arenaria'' (Drobov) Iljin, nom. nud
*''Salsola subaphylla'' C.Meyer subsp. ''arenaria'' (Drobov) Iljin
*''Aellenia subaphylla'' (C.Meyer) Aellen subsp. ''turcomanica'' Aellen
*''Aellenia turcomanica'' (Aellen) Čer.

;''Halothamnus subaphyllus'' subsp. ''charifii'' (Aellen) Kothe-Heinr.
Synonyms:
*''Aellenia subaphylla'' (C.Meyer) Aellen subsp. ''charifii'' Aellen
*''Aellenia subaphylla'' (C.Meyer) Aellen subsp. ''gracilenta'' Aellen
*''Halothamnus subaphylloides'' Botsch.

;''Halothamnus subaphyllus'' subsp. psammophilus (Botsch.) Kothe-Heinr.
Synonyms:
*''Halothamnus psammophilus'' Botsch.

Distribution

The distribution area of ''Halothamnus subaphyllus'' includes Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan (Baluchistan). It grows in steppe, semideserts and deserts on stony, clayey or sandy ground, often on salty or gypsum soils, up to 2400 m above sea-level.

Cultivation and uses

''Halothamnus subaphyllus'' is an important fodder plant of the grazed deserts of Middle Asia. It is eaten by sheep, goats and camelsG. K. Kinzikaeva: ''Aellenia''. - In: P. N. Občinnikov (Hrsg.): ''Flora Tadžikskoj SSR'' 3: p.419-425. - Leningrad: Nauka, 1968 and by cattle, therefore it is cultivated in artificial recultivated pasture. Most productive is the subspecies ''psammophilus''.

The subspecies ''psammophilus'' is also planted for the stabilisation of mobile sand dunes.

As traditional medicine, ''Halothamnus subaphyllus'' is used for women's diseases, for strengthening of the hair, and against scabies of sheep. and for anthrax and healing of wounds. The plants are rich in medically used alkaloids ( Subaphyllin, Salsolin).

Furthermore, it is used as dying agent for tissues. The ash of the plants was formerly used to extract soda and potash for making soap.
The leaves accumulate boron.N. M. Amanova & G. K. Kinzikaeva: ''Marevye (Chenopodiaceae Vent.) Ûžnogo Tadžikistana kak nakopiteli bora.'' - Izv. Akad. Nauk Tadžiksk. SSR Otd. Biol. Nauk 3: p.18-24, 1973.

Vernacular names

*Uzbekistan: Čogon, Čogan, Čugon
*Kazakhstan: Šongajna
*Russian: солянка малолистная

References

Gabriele Kothe-Heinrich
''Revision der Gattung ''Halothamnus'' (Chenopodiaceae)''. Bibliotheca Botanica Bd. 143
Schweizerbart, Stuttgart 1993, , p. 136-151.
Gabriele Kothe-Heinrich: ''Halothamnus''. - In: Karl Heinz Rechinger et al. (Edit.): ''Flora Iranica Bd. 172, Chenopodiaceae'' - Akad. Druck, Graz 1997, , p. 285-289 and fig.7-8, tab.158.

External links

Digital herbarium specimens from Herbarium Berlin
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''Halothamnus subaphyllus'' at Tropicos


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{{Taxonbar, from=Q150781

subaphyllus
Flora of Central Asia
Flora of Pakistan
Taxa named by Victor Botchantsev
Taxa named by Carl Anton von Meyer