Artemisia juncea Karelin & Kirilov (1842: 383)

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 : 24-25

14. Artemisia juncea Karelin & Kirilov (1842: 383) ≡ Seriphidium junceum (Karelin & Kirilov) Poljakov (1961b:

175). Type:— KAZAKHSTAN. Abai Region : Ayaguz, 1841, Karelin & Kiriloff 1604 [lectotype designated by Filatova

(1982): MW0595080!].

= Artemisia macrosciadia Poljakov (1954: 423) ≡ Artemisia juncea var. macrosciadia (Poljakov) Poljakov (1961a: 630) ≡ Seriphidium junceum var. macrosciadium (Poljakov) Ling & Y.R. Ling in Ling (1988: 23). Type:— KAZAKHSTAN. Almaty Oblast, Boguty mountain, 28 September 1949, P. Poljakov 139 (holotype: LE 00054543!).

Subshrubs, 20–40 cm tall. Stems often tufted, erect, occasionally curved at the base, frequently with numerous short nutritional stems, branching from the middle or upper part, branches 3–15 cm long, obliquely ascending. Lower stem leaves 2-ternately 3-lobed, 1.5–5 cm long, 1.5–3.5 cm wide, petiole 1–4 cm long, terminal segments linear-lanceolate or linear, 1–1.5 cm long, 1–2 mm wide, apex gradually tapered or slightly blunt. Middle stem leaves ternately 3-lobed, segments linear-lanceolate, 0.5–1.5 cm long, 1–2 mm wide, petiole 0.5–1.5 cm long. Upper leaves unlobed, linear-lanceolate, 1–2 cm long, 1–1.5 mm wide. The grayish-white tomentum on the stems and branches hardly 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 oblong-ovoid or ellipsoid-ovoid, 4–6 mm long, 1.5–2.5 mm in diameter. Synflorescence a narrow or somewhat broad panicle. Phyllaries in 4–5 series, outer phyllaries small, ovate, densely covered with grayish-white tomentum on the back, margins narrowly membranous, middle and inner phyllaries elliptic or ovate, middle phyllaries slightly tomentose, margins broadly membranous, brown, inner phyllaries semitransparent, glabrous on the back. Bisexual florets 4–7, corolla yellow. Anthers linear, appendages lanceolate to nearly linear, with a base rounded. Style short, bifurcate at the apex, tips ciliate. Achenes with inconspicuous fine longitudinal lines, obovoid. Figure 15 .

Distribution and habitat:—The species is distributed in northern Xinjiang, China ( Figure 16 ). It grows in rocky slopes, gobi desert and desert steppes at elevations of 500–1500 m.

Phenology:—Flowering and fruiting from August to October.

Taxonomic notes:— Artemisia juncea is easily distinguished from other species within A. subg. Seriphidium by its leaf blade ternately 3-lobed and is widely recognized as a distinct taxonomic entity (Krascheninnikov 1949, Bondarenko & Butkov 1962, Nikitina 1965, Filatova 1966, 1982, 1993, 2007, Ling 1991a, 1991b, Liu 1992, Wei 1999, Ling et al. 2011, Yang 2012).

Poljakov (1954: 423) described A. macrosciadia as a new species, noting its similarity to A. juncea . It is distinguished by its lower stem leaves 1.5–2 cm long (vs. 2–4 cm), terminal lobes 4–6 mm long (vs. 5–15 mm), and capitula 5–6 mm long (vs. 4–6 mm). However, in the Flora of the USSR ( Poljakov 1961a), the same author treated A. macrosciadia as a variety of A. juncea . Although this taxonomic treatment was accepted by several taxonomists ( Nikitina 1965, Ling 1991b, Ling et al. 2011), it was synonymized with A. juncea by Bondarenko & Butkov (1962) and Filatova (1966, 1982, 1993).

When examining the specimens (including types) of A. macrosciadia and A. juncea , it was found that the two species share consistent key diagnostic traits, including leaf shape and size, branching position and length and capitulum shape. Therefore, this study supports the treatment of A. macrosciadia as a synonym of A. juncea .

Specimens examined:— CHINA. Xinjiang: Urumqi , nearby hillside, 1000 m, 8 September 1931, T.N. Liou 3709 ( PE) ; ibid., 1050 m, 13 September 1931, T.N. Liou 3786 ( PE) ; Huocheng, Sangong Town , near the canal, 950 m, 5 September 1962, S.Q. Lin & P.H. Ma 1050 ( PE) ; without precise locality, s.a., s.d., T.N. Liou 3870 ( PE) ; Yumin, Barruck Mountain , vicinity of the forest farm, 1200 m, 23 August 1976, C.Y. Yang 760873 ( XJA) ; Tacheng, Talbahatai Mountain , s.a., July 1979, Z.Y. Wang 834 ( XJA) ; Toli , dry hillside, 950 m, 25 June 1963, Anonymous 634 ( XJBI) ; Habahe, Sairtamu Town , proluvial fan, 700 m, 22 September 1976, Anonymous 11069 ( XJBI) ; Urumqi, Spider Hill , 725.25 m, 12 September 2020, G.Z. Jin jgz-018 ( XJBI) ; Toli, Tiechanggou , nearby hillside, 807 m, 28 July 2022, G.Z. Jin jgz-011 ( XJBI) ; ibid., August 1977, Z.Y. Wang 762 ( XJA) ; Toli , side of S211 highway, 610 m, 28 July 2022, G.Z. Jin jgz-012 ( XJBI) ; Yumin, Jiyek Town , northwest hillside, 510 m, 29 July 2022, G.Z. Jin jgz-013 ( XJBI) ; Yumin , side of G219 highway, 820 m, 30 July 2022, G.Z. Jin jgz-014 ( XJBI) .

Figures

FIGURE 15. Artemisia juncea (photographed by Guang-Zhao Jin). A. habit; B. root; C. middle stem leaves; D. capitula.

FIGURE 16. Distribution map of Artemisia juncea in China.