Differentiating features of Suaeda in Mongolia
| Character | S. corniculata subsp. corniculata | S. corniculata subsp. mongolica | S. tuvinica | S. sibirica |
| Growth form in normal conditions | ascending or prostrate | prostrate or ascending | strictly prostrate | strictly erect |
| Colour living plants | fresh green or purplish | fresh green or purplish | bright green, shining | glaucous or purplish |
| Colour dried plants | blackish or purplish | brown or blackish | olive-green or brown | dark brown or black |
| Branching | loose, spreading | loose, spreading | loose, spreading | loose to moderately dense, erect |
| Flowers per glomerulus | 3-7(-17) | 5-7(-9) | 5-9 | 5-10(-15) |
| Leaves orientation | (ascending to) spreading | (ascending to) spreading | spreading | ascending |
| Leaves size in mm | 10-40 x 1-2 | 10-30 x 1-1.5 | 10-25 x1.5-3 | 10-30 x 1-2 |
| Leaves succulence | ++ | + – ++ | +++ | + – ++ |
| Leaves apex | obtuse to acutish | obtuse to acutish | obtuse | acuminate to acutish |
| Seeds1 size2 in mm | (0.8-)1.08(-1.35) x (0.7-) 0.92(-1.17) | (0.85-)1.05(-1.25) x (0.7-)0.87(-1.0) | (1.45-)1.64(-2.05) x (1.25-)1.4(-1.6) | (1.15-)1.39(-1.65) x (1.0-)1.2(-1.45) |
| Seeds surface3 | distinctly sculptured | distinctly sculptured | distinctly sculptured | obscurely sculptured |
| 2n = | 54 (36) | 36 | 54 | 72 |
1 The data refer to regular seeds which are lens-shaped and furnished with a hard, blackish testa; be careful to avoid the larger, disc-shaped seeds with a thin, brownish testa.
2 Minimum, mean and maximum values are given, based on n=100 seeds except for S. tuvinica (n=56) and S. arctica (n=20). For the measurements, 10 seeds per plant were randomly selected, and the plants were chosen to represent the total geographical distribution. The data for S. pannonica are overtaken from Freitag et al. (1996).
3 See also SEM micrographs in Fig. 2.
Fig. 1: Fruiting branches and fruits (with tepals) in species of the Suaeda corniculata group
A: S. corniculata subsp. corniculata (from M. Lomonosova 241, NS);
B: S. corniculata subsp. mongolica (from the holotype);
C: S. tuvinica (from the holotype);
D: S. kulundensis (from V. Golub 762, NS (cultivated in Novosibirsk in 2006);
E: S. sibirica (from the holotype). 1 = fruiting branch (scale: 1cm), 2 = fruits (scale: 1mm).
Drawings by N. Prijdak.
data compiled by: H. Freitag & S. Rilke