10.2478/botlit-2020-0006 BOTANICA ISSN 2538-8657 2020, 26(1): 61–75 THE GENUS CORISPERMUM L. (AMARANTHACEAE) IN THE BALTIC STATES Pēteris EVARTS -BUND E RS 1*, Gunta EVART E -BUND E R E 1, Maija ME DN E 1, Aiva Bo j ā r e 1,2, Dana Kr a s n o p o ļ s K a 1, Inita sv i l ā n e 1 1 Daugavpils University, Institute of Life Sciences and Technology, Parādes Str. 1A, 5401 Daugavpils, Latvia 2 National Botanical Garden, Dendroflora Department, Miera Str. 1, 2169 Salaspils, Latvia *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Evarts-Bunders P., Evarte-Bundere G., Medne M., Bojāre A., Krasnopoļska D., Svilāne I., 2020: The genus Corispermum L. (Amaranthaceae) in the Baltic States. – Botanica, 26(1): 61–75. The paper presents the data on taxonomical diversity and distribution patterns and dynamics of the Corisper- mum species in the Baltic States over the last hundred years. Field studies and the herbarium material analyses were carried out. The distribution dynamics was analysed by comparing all known localities of the Corisper- mum species in two time periods: by 1990, and from 1991 to the present. Analysis of the herbarium material confirmed that currently there are four species in the Baltic States:Corispermum hyssopifolium, C. declinatum, C. intermedium and C. pallasii. The only endemic species to the Eastern Baltic Region, C. intermedium, is con- sidered as typical for annual vegetation on embryonic shifting dunes and other coastal habitats. In Lithuania, this species is considered extinct or almost extinct, as has not been found for more than 30 years, only its hy- brids with C. pallasii. The largest and most stable population of C. intermedium has been found on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Rīga in Latvia. Other species such as ephemerophytic C. hyssopifolium and C. declinatum also prefer dry and disturbed habitats. Both have become less frequent in recent years. However, potentially invasive C. pallasii has been observed in the region with increasing distribution dynamics. The Estonian and Latvian herbaria analysis confirmed that all specimens previously identified asC. algidum after re-examination were identified asC. pallasii or C. intermedium and more often as hybrid C. intermedium × C. pallasii. Keywords: alien species, Baltic States, chorology, coastal habitats, Corispermum, distribution dynamics. INTRODUCTION characters and presence or absence of perianth seg- ments. Corispermum L. is a genus of annual hermaphro- The genus probably originated in arid regions of ditic herbaceous plants of the Northern Hemisphere Eurasia. It is estimated that it includes about 68 spe- considered to be among the most taxonomically cies occurring in the Holarctic region. Nowadays, complicated genera of Amaranthaceae. Species-level species of the Corispermum are native and some- identification is also very complicated because of the times widespread in Asia, Europe, and North Amer- morphological similarity of species, hybridisation as ica (MO S YAKIN , 2003). The Corispermum species are well as phenotypic plasticity and different habitus at annuals, and most of these are psammophytes (GA­ different stages of development (SUKHORUKOV , 2007, LENIEK S , 1955; Pr i e d ī t i s , 2014). 2014). The number of species and morphological The genus Corispermum is considered as phylo- boundaries between them are understood different- genetically relatively young, as evidenced by mor- ly by various botanists in the Baltic States. Species phological similarity of species, karyotypic similar- identification in the genus is primarily based on fruit ity (2n = 18) as well as the distinct occurrence of 61 ev a r t s -Bu n d e r s P., ev a r t e -Bu n d e r e G., Me d n e M., Bo j ā r e a., Kr a s n o P o ļ s K a d., sv i l ā n e i. species in synanthropic habitats and relatively exten- In the Scandinavian region, only one species has sive hybridisation. In contrast, in natural habitats, it been mentioned – C. pallasii Steven (Ku r t t o , 2001; is not a case due to geographic, ecological and other Mo s s B e r G & st e n B e r G , 2010). The same is in the Re- isolation mechanisms (st r a z d i ņ š , 1985). public of Belarus – in the previous literature, only Taxonomic situation regarding the Corispermum C. marschallii had been listed as present in the coun- species abundance and distribution in the territory of try (il j i n , 1949). M.V. Klokov had described several the Baltic States is quite complex and changing. Ac- new species: C. astrachanicum Klok., C. calvum cording to the old literature, for a decade since the first Klok., C. nitidulum Klok., C. stenopterum Klok., publication of the Corispermum corresponding to the C. volgicum Klok. (KLOKOV , 1960) and C. bjelorus- territory of Latvia, only three species had been report- sicum Klok. et Krasnova (KLOKOV et al., 1981), ed: C. intermedium Schweigg., C. hyssopifolium L. which in later works was recognized as synonyms (FLEI S CHER , 1839; KLIN G E , 1882; Bi t c K i s , 1923) and of C. marschallii, C. nitidum Kit. et Schult. and C. orientale Lam. (st a r c s , 1936). The first compre- C. pallasii (tz v e l e v , 2012). In more recent works, hensive review of the Corispermum genus in the Bal- other three species have been mentioned – C. pallasii tic States was carried out by J. Strazdiņš (1985), who (du B o v i K et al., 2011), C. declinatum and C. nitidum published an extensive study on it. It is considered to (du B o v i K et al., 2014). The official list of vascular be the most significant comprehensive genus analysis plants of Poland includes five species of theCorispe - in the Baltic States. The author based the approach of mum genus: C. nitidum, C. hyssopifolium, C. inter- species identification on the research of two botanists – medium, C. leptopterum and C. marschallii (Mi r e K il j i n (1929) and KLOKOV (1960). According to the lat- et al., 2002). The closer to the biodiversity centre of est official list of vascular plants in Latvia, the genus the Corispermum genus, the more species appear to is represented by six species: C. algidum Iljin, C. dec- be present: 13 species have been recorded new to the linatum Steph. ex Iljin, C. hyssopifolium, C. interme- north-west region of Russia (all of these including dium, C. leptopterum (Aschers.) Iljin and C. orientale species mentioned in the Baltic States) (MO S YAKIN , (st r a z d i ņ š , 1993; GAVRILOVA & šu l c s , 1999). There 1996). are several hybrids mentioned in the flora of Latvia and Particular attention should be paid to C. interme- the Baltic States with different level of occurrence, vi- dium, which is considered to be rare, native endemic tality and fertility: C. algidum × C. declinatum, C. algi- species, occurring only on the seashore of Latvia and dum × C. leptopterum, C. declinatum × C. leptopterum Lithuania (st r a z d i ņ š , 1993). Distribution of this spe- (C. × latvicum), C. hyssopifolium × C. intermedium, cies is highly questionable due to the latest studies C. hyssopifolium × C. leptopterum and C. intermedium on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea (DOLNIK et × C. leptopterum (st r a z d i ņ š , 1985, 1993). al., 2011) and in the coastal territories of Latvia and The number of the Corispermum species differs Estonia (ev a r t s -Bu n d e r s et al., 2016). They are in- within the Baltic States. Until 1971, only one alien dicating possible extinction of C. intermedium and species was referred to the territory of Estonia; it replacement by neophyte C. pallasii (syn. C. leptop- was reported as C. sibiricum Iljin (EICHWALD et al., terum). Both of these species are often confused due 1971). Later four species were reported new to Esto- to their similar morphological characters, historically nia: C. algidum, C. declinatum, C. hyssopifolium and incorrectly described in Flora Europaea (AELLEN & C. leptopterum (le h t et al., 2007). Recent studies AKEROYD , 1993), leading to further misidentification have also discovered the fifth species – native C. in- in several countries. termedium present in Estonia (ev a r t s -Bu n d e r s et The preliminary study on herbaria specimens from al., 2016). Four species are listed in the latest official the Baltic States showed many cases of misidentifica- list of vascular plants of Lithuania – C. declinatum, tions within species of the genus Corispermum. The C. intermedium, C. hyssopifolium and C. hybridum latest studies of the genus distribution in the Baltic Re- Besser ex Andrz. There are also two species indicat- gion led to the necessity for updating and clarification ed as possibly present in the territory of Lithuania: of species composition of the genus Corispermum and C. sibiricum and C. marschallii Steven (Gu d ž i n s K a s , their distribution patterns in the Baltic States. 1999, 2000; Gu d ž i n s K a s & SUKHORUKOV , 2004). The study aimed to evaluate all available data of 62 The genus Corispermum L. (Amaranthaceae) in the Baltic States the Corispermum spp. in the Baltic States, clarify the Poland Pomerania province (Vistula Spit, Gdansk distribution dynamics during the last century, com- Region), were surveyed during the vegetation season pare the main morphological differences and explain of 2019. All our collected and cited herbarium speci- the floristic status of allCorispermum taxa. mens were deposited at the Herbarium of Daugavpils University, Institute of Life Sciences and Technology MATERIALS AND METHODS (DAU) and registered in the database of the Herbar- ium Universitatis Daugavpilensis (ev a r t e -Bu n d e r e Comprehensive revision of the localities of the et al., 2020).