Bassia eriophora (Schrad.) Asch.

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2016) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 1: Elatinaceae to Sphenocleaceae.

Morphology General Habit

Erect or decumbent or ascending annual, 6–40 cm, simple or much-branched and bushy with ascending branches when well-grown

Morphology Stem

Stem and branches whitish, ± densely white- lanuginose throughout

Morphology Leaves

Leaves flat, lanceolate to lanceolate-oblong, obtuse to subacute, 7–20 × 1.5–5 mm, thinly to moderately villous, much diminishing along branches and inflorescence or, where stem leaves are short, scarcely so

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences spiciform, the few- flowered clusters concealed in a dense woolly indumentum, dense to somewhat distant

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers hermaphrodite or female or male

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth

Perianth of female and hermaphrodite flowers small, ± 1 mm diameter, villous, fused in basal 1/3 (which is hyaline with 5 green nerves), lobes acute with green veins, incurved, each bearing a dorsal tubercle which is variably accrescent to a spine of up to 1 mm in fruit, the villous, straight and stout spines also concealed in fleece; ovary rounded, depressed; style very short, with brownish filiform stigmas 2–3 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments

Filaments white, delicate, 3–3.5 mm; anthers oblong, 1.0–1.5 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit ± 2 mm diameter; seed compressed-ovoid, greenish-brown with a pale centre.

Ecology

Gravelly, sandy, clayey and silty soils, tolerating some salinity; alt. 0–400(–680) m;

Phenology

Flowering: Mar.-May, fruiting: Apr.–Jun.

Distribution

Iraq: Widespread in the desert and semi-desert alluvial plains. Iran, Pakistan, Arabia, Palestine, N Africa.

Note

Functionally male flowers do not seem to have been noticed in this species before, but such certainly appear to be present. Some few plants, indeed, appear to be entirely male. Such individuals tend to be rather slender, and narrow, in both leaf and inflorescence.

Recognition

Morphologically B. eriophora is similar to Bassia eriantha (Londesiaeriantha), but with no close relationship to each other (Akhani & Khoshravesh in Phytotaxa 93, 1: 1–24, 2013). The latter taxon has e.g. ovate leaves and smooth perianth lobes, and it is distributed in Irano-Turan (Turkmenistan).

Vernacular

ALAICH-AL-GHAZAL (Babylon, Guest). QUTAINAH (Baghdad, Lazar), nr Hit (Rawi & Gillett). KHATHRAF (Wadi Thirthar, Rawi & Gillett). HALŪLĀN (Ashuriya, Guest et al.).