Isatis boissieriana (Gintzburger et al., 2003)
| Isatis boissieriana (Gintzburger et al., 2003) |
Isatis boissieriana Rchb. f.
Local name:
- Russian: Вайда Буасье - vajda Buas'e
- Turkmen: Chetyr
Chromosome number: 2n = 28 (Quézel 1957; Fedorov 1969).
Description and morphology: Annual herb (height 10–50 cm). Stem: erect, thin, glabrous or slightly hairy. Leaves: alternate, closely attached to stem with entire margins, without bracts; cauline leaves sessile, triangular-lanceolate, auriculate. Flowers: bisexual; (4–7 mm) on long, threading pedicel, yellow. Inflorescence: loose, many-flowered racemes, assembled in a panicle.
Reproduction: Sexual. Entomophilous. Flowering: April. Fruit maturation: end of April– May. Fruit: silicle heterocarpous, polyspermous. Indehiscent winged, oblong-elongated wide with truncate or retuse apex and 1 prominent vein on the middle silicula (17–23 mm long, 6–9 mm wide), deflexed filiform. Seed: oblong (4–6 mm long,1–2 mm wide) with large, bent embryo and reduced endosperm. Dormancy A2–B1 type. Fresh collected seeds do not germinate. Dormancy is lifted after about 4 months dry storage. Removal of the fruiting body or stratification stimulates germination. Viability of seeds 2–4 years.
Pastoral importance: Good grazing. Harvested for haymaking and mixed with Hordeum and also a component of silage. Fodder value: A valuable fodder plant, rich in fibre. At flowering contains (% DM): protein 29; cellulose 16.5; nitrogen-free extract 41. Forage value about 85 FU/100 kg DM.
Habitat: Psammo-xerophyte. Common in sandy deserts in small plant communities. Occurs in the chol and adyr, sometimes in dense stands. Tolerates both cold and hot dry weather; seedlings will tolerate frosts down to -20 °C.
Distribution: Endemic species of Central Asia.
