Eurotia ewersmanniana (Gintzburger et al., 2003)
| Eurotia ewersmanniana (Gintzburger et al., 2003) |
Eurotia ewersmanniana Stschegl. Ex Losinsk.
Local name:
- Russian: Терескен Эверсмана - teresken Èversmana
- Uzbek: Teresken
Chromosome number: 2n = 18, 36 (Wulff 1936; Zosimovich 1965; Turner 1994).
Description and morphology: Perennial small-medium shrub (height up to 120 cm), strongly branched at base. Pivotal root system to depth 5–6 m. Stem: pale green, erect at lower end and strongly ramified at upper, covered with greyish simple hairs. Leaves: alternate, flat, short petioled, oblong-ovoid with entire margins, densely covered with silky hairs. Flowers: small, 3–8 assembled in clusters in a dense spike; monoecious: male flower with tetra-metamerous perianth and 4 stamens; female: without perianth; ovary superior. Pollen grains 3-celled. Pollen fertility: 74–85%. Growth cycle begins in middle April.
Reproduction: Sexual and vegetative. Typical anemophilous plant, but geitonogamy is also admitted. Heterocarpous. Flowering: July–August. Fruit maturation: September– October. Fruit: monospermous, lyzicarpous accreted at base with 2 bract bases, long woolly (7–8 mm). Seed: vertical, orbicular-ovoid, small (2.7 mm length, 1.6 mm wide), black, glabrous. Embryo large, spiralled, chlorophytic, surrounded by perisperm. Dormancy B1 type. Seed yield 0.05–0.38 t/ha. Viable seeds: 84–91%. Laboratory germination: 20–80%; field germination: 14–25%. Stratification of seeds (5–16 °C) for 1.5–2 months is effective. Seed longevity 3 years.
Pastoral importance: Extensively used for the creation and/or improvement of rangeland in Karnabchol steppe, foothill semi-arid regions and sandy deserts. Rough forage; good for cattle and horses all year round. Annual summer shoots and leaves well grazed. Source of minerals for cattle. Productivity on natural pastures of sandy Kyzylkum pastures around 0.03–2.0 t/ha. Also used as fuelwood.
Fodder value: Green stems and leaves during flowering contain (% DM): crude protein 16; crude fat 2.7; crude cellulose 34. Fodder value about 38 FU and 9.1 kg digestible protein/ 100 kg DM.
Habitat: Psammo-xerophyte (facultative psammophyte or halophyte). Occurs on sands, saltmarshes, gravelly-stony desert, clay slopes, foothills, and also on dry river beds and mountain river banks.
Distribution: Middle Asia (Aral and Caspian regions, Balkash, Kyzylkum, Syr-Darya), Tien Shan, Pamir mountains, western Mongolia, Afghanistan and China.
