Bassia

Allioni

Mélanges Philos. Math. Soc. Roy. Turin 3: 177. 1766.

Etymology: For F. Bassi, 1710–1774, Italian naturalist
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 309. Mentioned on page 261, 265.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA4 P52 Axyris amaranthoides.jpegAxyris amaranthoides
Bassia hyssopifolia
Kochia scoparia subsp. scoparia
Kochia americana
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey

Herbs, annual, ± densely pubescent. Stems erect, semierect, ascending, or prostrate, branched or simple, not jointed, not armed, not fleshy. Leaves alternate, sessile (or sometimes narrowed to pseudopetiole); blade linear, lanceolate, or lanceolate-elliptic, flat or semiterete (semicylindric in transverse-section; ± fleshy), base cuneate, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute. Inflorescences terminal spikes, flowers [1–] 2–3 in axils. Flowers bisexual, sessile, ebracteolate; perianth segments 5, ± hirsute or pubescent, rarely glabrous, at maturity with spiniform, hooked, or conic appendages; stamens 5; styles and stigmas 2 (–3). Fruiting structures: fruiting bracts absent; achenes ovate-compressed; pericarp free, membranous. Seeds horizontal, lenticular; seed-coat brownish, smooth; embryo annular; perisperm copious. x = 9.

Distribution

Introduced; Asia, Europe, Africa

Discussion

Species ca. 10 (2 in the flora).

Bassia occurs primarily in steppe and desert zones. A. J. Scott (1978) circumscribed Bassia in a very broad sense, including Kochia and some other genera. Only one section of Kochia is somewhat transitional towards Bassia (see comments in the treatment of Kochia). The present treatment follows the traditional concepts of Bassia and Kochia.

Key

1 Leaf blades flat, lanceolate-elliptic, lanceolate, or linear; all perianth segments at maturity with thin, hooked spine adaxially; inflorescence axis ± straight Bassia hyssopifolia
1 Leaf blades semiterete, linear or filiform; (2-)3(-4) perianth segments at maturity with conic nonhooked appendages adaxially, other segments ± unappendaged; inflorescence axis flex- uous Bassia hirsuta
... more about "Bassia"
ovate-compressed +
obtuse +  and acute +
conic +, hooked +  and spiniform +
Sergei L. Mosyakin +
Allioni +
slippery +
aromatic +
cuneate +
semiterete +, flat +, lanceolate-elliptic +, lanceolate +  and linear +
persistent +  and deciduous +
reddish-brown +, black +, brown +  and green +
Asia +, Europe +  and Africa +
For F. Bassi, 1710–1774, Italian naturalist +
ebracteolate +  and sessile +
2 +  and 3 +
not winged +  and winged +
lobed +  and serrate-dentate +
inferior +, half-inferior +  and superior +
crassinucellate +  and bitegmic +
campylotropous +
1 +  and single +
persistent +  and deciduous +
glabrous +, pubescent +  and hirsute +
Mélanges Philos. Math. Soc. Roy. Turin +
pointing +  and ascending +
basal +, median +  and position +
collins1979a +
bulbous +  and taprooted +
fusiform +
fleshy +  and fibrous +
verrucate +  and striate +
reddish-brown +, brown +  and black +
lenticular +
cylindric +
not armed +, not jointed +, simple +  and branched +
opposite +  and alternate +
prostrate +, ascending +, semierect +  and erect +
not fleshy +
sessile +  and petiolate +
reduced;small +
horizontal +  and vertical +
verrucate +
Chenopodiaceae +
polygamous +, dioecious +  and monoecious +