Artemisia terrae-albae Krascheninnikov (1929: 269)

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 : 48-50

28. Artemisia terrae-albae Krascheninnikov (1929: 269) ≡ Seriphidium terrae-albae (Krasch.) Poljakov (1961b: 175) . Type:— KAZAKHSTAN. Ulitao district, lower courses of Sary-su river, 29 May 1914, H. Krascheninnikov 5189 [first-step lectotype designated by Leonova (1970); second-step lectotype designated here: LE00052883!; isolectotype LE01280787!].

Perennial herbs, 8–30 cm tall. Stems few or many, often tufted, erect or lower curved upward at the base, branching from the upper part, often with numerous short nutritional stems, branches 2–5 cm long, spreading or curved downward. Lower stem leaves ovate, 2-pinnatisect, 1–2 cm long, 0.8–1 cm wide, petiole 0.5–1 cm long, with 3–4 segments per side, segments further pinnatisect, lobules linear, 2–3 mm long, 0.3–0.5 mm wide, with blunt apices. Middle stem leaves 1–2-pinnatisect, subsessile, with linear pseudostipules. Upper stem leaves pinnatisect, with linear lobules. The grayish-white tomentum on the stems and branches partially sheds at maturity, the tomentum on all leaves persists and the texture is slightly soft, while the lower and middle stem leaves usually wither. Capitula oblong-ovoid or ovoid, 2.5–3.5 mm long, 1.5–3 mm in diameter. Synflorescence a lax, somewhat broad panicle. Phyllaries in 4–5 series, outer phyllaries short, ovate, slightly plump, pilose, margins membranous, middle and inner phyllaries long, long-elliptic, inner phyllaries semi-membranous, nearly glabrous. Bisexual florets 4–5, corolla yellow or red. Anthers linear, apex appendages lanceolate, with an obtuse base. Styles short, slightly forked at anthesis, ciliate. Achenes with inconspicuous fine longitudinal lines, 0.8–1.5 mm long, 0.3–0.8 mm in diameter, obovoid or ovoid. Figure 41 .

Distribution and habitat:—This species is distributed in Xinjiang, China ( Figure 42 ). It grows in dunes, desert margins, and gobi desert at the low to mid-elevations.

Phenology:—Flowering and fruiting from August to October.

Taxonomic notes:—In the protologue of Artemisia terrae-albae, Krascheninnikov (1929) cited two gatherings as the type, Krascheninnikov s.n. and Spiridonov s.n., without specifying the herbarium. Leonova (1970) and Filatova (1984) recorded that the syntypes of this species are deposited at LE. We have traced five sheets of two gatherings at LE. All of them match perfectly the original description. According to Arts. 9.12 and 9.17 of the ICN ( Turland et al. 2018), Leonova’s (1970) typification should be further narrowed. Therefore, sheet LE00052883 has been designated as the lectotype.

Specimens examined:— China. Xinjiang: Changji, 18 km west of Changji , 510 m, 17 September 1957, Sheng 2200 ( LE) ; Fuyun , without precise location, 900 m, 20 August 1956, R.C. Ching 2251 ( LE) ; Karamay, Dushanzi , s.a., 14 October 1956, R.C. Ching 3892 ( LE) ; Qitai, 49–60 km northeast of Qitai , s.a., 25 September 1957, Sheng 2314 ( LE) ; Shihezi , without precise location, 500 m, 4 October 1956, R.C. Ching 3742 ( LE) ; Usu, south of Ganhezi , s.a., 23 September 1953, Sheng 2262 ( LE) ; Shawan, Ningjiahe , s.a., 30 September 1956, R.C. Ching 3451 ( LE) ; Shawan, Sandaohe , s.a., 8 October 1956, Xinjiang Exped. 1727 ( PE) ; Changji, Baijiahaizi , s.a., 6 May 1959, Xinjiang Exped. 0085 ( PE) ; without precise location, 850 m, 2 September 1950, Xinjiang Exped. 0030 ( PE) ; without precise location, s.a., 1959, Anonymous 0036 (PE); Mulei, 80 km from Sanquanzi , s.a., 27 May 1959, Xinjiang Exped. 257 ( PE) ; without precise location, s.a., 1959, Anonymous 781 (PE); without precise location, s.a., 13 May 1959, Anonymous 139 ( PE) ; Mulei, dunes 3 km north of Sanquanzi , s.a., 15 May 1959, Xinjiang Exped. 180 ( PE) ; without precise location, s.a., 6 September 1959, Anonymous 713 ( PE) ; Burqin, Heishantou, 80 km south of Burqin , s.a., 22 September 1956, R.C. Ching 3258 ( PE) ; ibid., 800 m, 22 September 1956, R.C. Ching 3259 ( XJBI) ; ibid., 731 m, 11 October 2020, G. Z. Jin & S. Zhang jgz-79 ( XJBI) ; ibid., 731 m, 10 October 2021, G.Z. Jin & L. Yang jgz-37 ( XJBI) ; Altay, 20 km south of Altay , 700 m, 6 September 1956, R.C. Ching 2718 ( PE, XJBI) ; Fukang, near Tianchi , 150 m, 23 September 1980, H.B. Cui et al. 80-476 ( IBSC, PE) ; Burqin , without precise location, s.a., 5 September 1964, G.L. Zhu et al. 6629 ( IBSC, PE) ; Shihezi, 30 km west of Xiayedi , s.a., 13 June 1957, K.J. Guan 883 ( IBSC, XJBI) ; Urumqi , near the airport, s.a., 1 September 1964, Anonymous 219 ( XJBI) ; ibid., s.a., 1 September 1964, Anonymous 221 ( XJBI) ; Manas, wasteland west of Manas River , s.a., 29 August 1964, Anonymous 215 ( XJBI) ; Tacheng, Yemenle Town , s.a., 31 May 1965, Anonymous 874 ( XJBI) ; Usu , without precise location, 500 m, Anonymous 2294 ( XJBI) ; Qinghe , near 144 km of S228, 1083 m, 7 October 2021, G.Z. Jin & L. Yang jgz-10 ( XJBI) .

Figures

FIGURE 41. Artemisia terrae-albae (photographed by Guang-Zhao Jin). A. habit; B. habitat; C. root; D. stem leaves (from top to bottom: lower, middle and upper leaf); E. capitula.

FIGURE 42. Distribution map of Artemisia terrae-albae in China.