Features of the morphology of seeds of species of the genus Suaeda flora of the Aral-Balkhash region

Abstract

Genus Suaeda Forssk. ex J. F. Gmel. is one of the largest in the family Chenopodiaceae Vent. (Amaranthaceae Juss.). Its representatives are distributed throughout Central Asia and are found, as a rule, in coastal halophyte communities. Out of 40 Central Asian species, there are 18 species in the flora of Kazakhstan, 15 (83 %) of which are found in the Aral-Balkhash region. Suaeda species are distributed in 5 sections (Schanginia C. A. Mey., Lachnostigma Iljin, Conosperma Iljin, Physophora Iljin, Heterosperma Iljin). The aim of the research was to analyze the features of the morphology of seeds of species of the genus Suaeda of the flora of the Aral-Balkhash region, which includes 5 floristic districts (14 - Aral, 15 -Kyzylorda, 16 - Betpakdala, 17 - Muyunkum (Moyinkum) and 18 - Balkhash-Alakul). Of the 15 species found within the Aral-Balkhash region, seeds of 11 species were taken for comparative analysis of morphological features (Suaeda linifolia Pall., S. paradoxa Bunge, S. altissima (L.) Pall., S. dendroides (С. A. Mey.) Moq., S. arcuata Bunge, S. acuminata (С. А. Меу.) Moq., S. corniculata (С. А. Меу.) Bunge, S. heterophylla (Kar. et Kir.) Bunge, S. salsa (L.) Pall., S. prostrata Pall., S. crassifolia Pall.). A detailed study reveals sectional differences. In this respect, the seeds of Suaeda acuminata differ most clearly from the species of other sections. from the Conosperma section. The species of the Schanginia section have a generally similar granular structure of the seed surface, and the representatives of the Heterosperma section have a point-grid surface of seeds with a flattened edge.