Artemisia nitrosa Weber ex Stechmann (1775: 24)

Jin, Guang-Zhao, Sheludyakova, Mariya, Abduraimov, Ozodbek, Feng, Ying & Ge, Xue-Jun, 2025, A Taxonomic Revision of Artemisia Subgenus Seriphidium (Asteraceae-Anthemideae) in China, Phytotaxa 686 (1), pp. 1-103 : 32-34

19. Artemisia nitrosa Weber ex Stechmann (1775: 24) ≡ Seriphidium nitrosum (Weber ex Stechmann) Poljakov (1961b: 172) . Lectotype designated here:—Gmelin, Fl. Sib. 2: tab. 50, fig. 1 (1749).

Perennial herbs, 40–50 cm tall. Stems few or numerous, erect or slightly curved upward at the base, often with numerous short nutritional stems, branching from the upper part, branches 5–15 cm long, obliquely upward. Lower stem leaves oblong-ovate or elliptic-lanceolate, 2-pinnatisect, 3–4 cm long, 1–2 cm wide, petiole 3–7 cm long, with 4–5 segments per side, segments further pinnatisect, lobules narrowly linear, 3–5 mm long, 0.3–0.8 mm wide, with blunt apices. Middle stem leaves 2-pinnatisect, 1.5–3.5 cm long, 1–1.5 cm wide, with pinnatifid pseudostipules. Upper stem leaves pinnatisect, with narrowly linear lobules. The grayish-white tomentum on the stems and branches partially sheds at maturity, the tomentum on all leaves persists, and the leaves have a rigid texture, while the lower and middle stem leaves usually wither. Capitula cylindric or ovoid-cylindric, 2.5–3.5 mm long, 1.5–2 mm in diameter. Synflorescence a narrow panicle. Phyllaries in 4–5 series, outer phyllaries small, ovate or narrowly ovate, middle and inner phyllaries slightly longer, oblong-ovate or elliptic-lanceolate, outer and middle phyllaries abaxially pilose, glabrescent, margins membranous, inner phyllaries semi-membranous, subglabrous. Bisexual florets 3–6, corolla red or yellow. Anthers linear, apex appendages lanceolate or linear, with a mucronate base. Style short, apex slightly forked, tip truncate, ciliate. Achenes with inconspicuous fine longitudinal lines, obovoid.

Distribution and habitat:— Artemisia nitrosa is distributed in Xinjiang, China ( Figure 26 ). Some authors reported that this species is also distributed in Gansu and Inner Mongolia ( Ling 1991b, Fu 1993, Ling et al. 2011), but no definitive specimens were examined in this study. It grows in gobi, rocky slopes, dry canyons, dry riverbanks, roadsides, terraces, and saline-alkaline soils at elevations up to 1500 m.

Phenology:—Flowering and fruiting from August to October.

Taxonomic notes:—In the protologue of Artemisia nitrosa, Stechmann (1775) did not designate a type for this name, but cited “ Gmelin 1749, Fl. Sib. 2: p. 113, n. 98, t. 50, fig. 1”. Filatova (1984) later designated a specimen from MW (MW0595095) as the type, suggesting that Gmelin (1749) have examined this specimen when creating the illustration (t. 50, fig. 1). However, it cannot be confirmed whether Stechmann (1775) examined this specimen when describing A. nitrosa , rendering Filatova’s (1984) lectotypification ineffective. According to Arts. 7.8, 9.3, 9.12 and 9.19 of the ICN ( Turland et al. 2018), we have designated the illustration (t. 50, fig. 1) from Flora Sibirica 2 ( Gmelin 1749), cited by Stechmann (1775), as the lectotype of A. nitrosa .

Specimens examined:— China. Xinjiang: Barikun , near the military horse farm, 1900 m, 24 August 1965, T.Y. Zhou et al. 651441 ( IBSC) ; without precise location, s.a., 31 July 1992, Xinjiang Exped. 217 ( IBSC) ; Urumqi, roadside of the Martyrs Cemetery , 900 m, 1 July 1974, Y.R. Ling 74019 ( IBSC) ; ibid., 1000 m, 2 October 1974, Y.R. Ling 74- 1430 ( IBSC) ; without precise location, s.a., 2 August 1992, Xinjiang Exped. 257 ( IBSC) ; without precise location, s.a., 2 August 1992, Xinjiang Exped. 265 ( IBSC) ; Jimunai, Heishantou , 1220 m, 22 August 1974, Y.R. Ling 74963 ( IBSC) ; Yining, road to Kyzyl-Kure from Yining , s.a., 29 August 1957, A.A. Yunatov et al. 1698 ( LE) ; Emin, 40 km northeast of Emin , s.a., 5 August 1957, A.A. Yunatov et al. 1216 ( LE) ; Toli, 20 km from Alashankou , s.a., 14 August 1957, A.A. Yunatov et al. 1342 ( LE) ; Emin , without precise location, s.a., 10 August 1957, K.J. Guan 2796 ( PE) ; Urumqi, wasteland on the way to Fukang , s.a., 19 September 1957, K.J. Guan 4183 ( PE) ; Tacheng, near Nanhu Lake , 400 m, 20 September 1974, Y.R. Ling 74-1430 ( IBSC, PE) ; Yining, Quluhai, wasteland near Yangluchang , 1300 m, 10 July 1962, S.Q. Lin & P. H. Ma 1008 ( PE) ; ibid., 1300 m, 10 July 1962, S.Q. Lin & P.H. Ma 1007 ( PE) ; Qitai , gobi, s.a., 17 July 1961, S.Q. Lin & P.H. Ma 69 ( PE) ; Xinyuan, Tallade Town , 1400 m, 8 August 1982, Anonymous 449 ( XJA) ; ibid., 1200 m, 8 August 1982, Anonymous 451 ( XJA) ; Urumqi , gobi, 850 m, August 1979, Anonymous 79-295 ( XJA) .

Figures

FIGURE 26. Distribution map of Artemisia nitrosa in China.