A new Kalidium species (Amaranthaceae s. l.) from northern Central Asia

Kalidium juniperinum Sukhor. et Lomon. is described as a species new to science. It is similar to K. foliatum in having a short leaf blade but differs by the presence of numerous slender, prostrate, or ascending stems forming mats vs. the stout main upright stem; acuminate bracts slightly exceeding the flower cyme vs. obtuse bracts equal to the flower cyme; the exserted pericarp looking like a bulge on the one-seeded diaspore vs. not or slightly elevated top of the diaspore; shorter anthers; the geographic range in the highlands and mountainous steppe zone vs. Eurasian lowland (semi-)desert regions. K. juniperinum is recorded in Russia (West Siberia and Sayan Mountains), Eastern and Northern Kazakhstan, the Mongolian Altai, and NW China. The names K. foliatum alpha [var.] glomeratum Fenzl and Kalidium foliatum beta [var.] brevifolium Fenzl are lectotypified and synonymized with K. juniperinum.

Automated summary

Kalidium juniperinum is described as a new species, distinguished from Kalidium foliatum by leaf blade length, plant morphology, fruit characteristics, and geographic distribution.