Chenopodium pamiricum Iljin

Perianth and seed characters easily differentiate C. pamiricum from small specimens of C. karoi and C. vulvaria.

Annual, usually densely farinose, 5-20(-30) cm; stems thin, erect-ascending, seldom ± procumbent, yellowish to reddish, much branched especially basally, branches mostly ascending. Leaf blade 0.7-1.3 cm, ovate to broadly ovate-triangular-ovate, entire or slightly 3-lobed, margin entire, base short attenuate, apex ± acute. Inflorescence paniculate, mostly fairly compact, terminal and axillary, sometimes laxer on elongated stems and branches; glomerules small. Perianth lobes 5, green, farinose, free almost to the base, slightly keeled on the back. Stamens 5 or 0. Stigmas 2. Pericarp fairly loose. Seeds horizontal, black 1.0-1.2 x 0.9-1.0 mm in diameter, ovoid, margin somewhat acute; testa almost smooth.

Distribution: Himalayas, Karakoram, N Hindukush, Pamir, Alay, Altay, W Mongolia, W China.

Fl. & Fr. Per.: June - October.

Juniper forest, shrublands, open places. 2200-4820 m.

Annual up to 25 cm with several or numerous prostrate or ascending stems. Leaves farinose, shortly petiolate (petioles up to 1.5 cm but usually much smaller) with blades up to 2 cm, rhombic or ovate, entire or subhastate. Inflorescence leafy almost to the top. Flowers in glomerules arranged in ± dense inflorescence. Perianth farinose. Fruits and seeds heteromorphic. The first type of fruits and seeds is formed in terminal flowers, the fruits ripen in July-August. These fruits are ca. 1 mm in diameter and 0.5 mm thick; pericarp with papillae up to 20(25) μm (Fig. 4C); seed dark red or blackish with median keel (Fig. 4E, F), testa 17–25 μm thick. Fruits of the second type (which dominates at the end of the vegetation period) are ovoid, 1.0–1.2 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm thick, pericarp papillate or not (Fig. 4D); seeds yellow-brownish, elongated.

See Fig. 5.