Corispermum tibeticum Iljin

Plants 5-20 cm tall. Stem branching mostly from base; lower branches ascending or prostrate, upper ones obliquely spreading. Leaves linear, 2-3.5 cm, 1-veined, base attenuate, apex acute, mucronate. Spikelike inflorescence elongate, terete, loose, 2-7 cm; bracts narrowly ovate, sometimes slightly sickle-shaped, narrower than or as wide as utricle, margin narrowly membranous. Perianth segment 1, suborbicular, apex irregularly denticulate. Stamens 1-5. Utricle broadly elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 3-4 × 2-2.5 mm, glabrous, base subcordate or rounded, apex acute or rounded; wing light yellow, 1/6-1/3 as wide as body, margin irregularly denticulate; beak ca. 1 mm, apex ca. 1/3 as long as beak. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.

Annual up to 25 (-40) cm in fruit, rather densely hairy, branched from base, the elongated lower branches ascending. Leaves oblong or oblong-lanceolate or more rarely oblong-obovate, gradually narrowing towards base, obtuse or apiculate or acute at apex, the middle ones mostly somewhat falcate, ± fleshy, lower up to 10 x 5 mm. Inflorescence loose to fairly compact but relatively slender; bracts ovate, acuminate, broadly white-scarious margined, completely covering or very slightly narrower though longer than the fruit. Perianth of 1 segment, ± rounded, almost truncate and toothed at apex. Stamens 1-5. Fruit glabrous, oval to oblong-oval, 3-4 x 2-2.5 mm, ± broadly triangular, tapering at summit, with slightly convex outer face and slightly concave inner face, glabrous and somewhat lustrous, winged; wings semi-transparent, yellowish, slightly crenate to entire, 1/6-1/3 as broad as the darker olivaceous kernel.

Distribution: C. Asia (Pamir), Tibet, Pakistan and Kashmir.

Sandy places, riversides; high elevations. Qinghai, Xizang [Kashmir, Pakistan; C Asia (Pamir mountains)].

Corispermum ladakhianum Grey-Wilson & Wadhwa.

C. hyssopifolium auct. non L.: Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 5: 9. 1886; C. ladakhianum Grey-Wilson & Wadhwa in Kew Bull. 42(2) : 471.1987.

Annual up to 30 cm, moderately pubescent, looking greyish even at maturity and the fruiting stage. Leaves lanceolate, spatulate or narrowly oblong, up to 4.0 × 0.5(0.7) cm with a mucro at the top. Inflorescence elongated, its branches with many (up to 30) flowers. Bracts significantly shorter than leaves, ovoid, (almost) completely covering the fruit. Fruit 2.8–3.2 × 2.5 mm, 0.50–0.65 mm thick, body sometimes blackish with entire margin and broadly triangular apex terminating in slightly emarginate beak, glabrous and mostly smooth (without detachments), sometimes with small warts (Fig. 36D). Marginal wing clearly expressed, ~0.30 mm, triangular in cross-section. Sclereids in the medium fruit part in one layer located parallel to the fruit axis or rarely absent.

See Fig. 37.