Mongolian Journal of Biological Sciences 2006 Vol. 4(1): 63-66 [Short communication] Taxonomy of the Genus Cnidium Cusson ex Juss. (Umbelliferae Juss.) in Mongolia Magsar Urgamal Institute of Botany, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar-21051, Mongolia, E-mail: urgaa_m@yahoo.com Abstract The taxonomic position of Mongolian species belonging to the genus Cnidium Cusson ex Juss. is revised. Five species are included in this genus. A key for the identification of the five species and data on their distribution in Mongolia are given. Key words: Cnidium, taxonomy, genus, species, herbarium Khentii (2), Khangai (3), Mongol-Daurian (4), Great Khingan (5), Khovd (6), Mongolian Altai (7), Middle Khalkh (8), Eastern Mongolia (9), Depression of Great Lakes (10), Valley of Lakes (11), East Gobi (12), Gobi Altai (13), Dzungarian Gobi (14), Trans-Altai Gobi (15) and Alasha Gobi (16). In the distribution section, after the name of each species, the numbers are given for the respective regions, where the species occur. Introduction The genus Cnidium Cusson ex Juss. belongs to the family Umbelliferae Juss. (Apiaceae Lindley), which is one of the biggest families in the Mongolian flora (Gubanov, 1996). The study on taxonomy of the sedge family of Mongolia is part of an ongoing project for creating a series of “Flora of Mongolia”. The genus Cnidium Cusson ex Juss. is one of the biggest genera of the family Umbelliferae Juss. Only three species have been recorded in the genus Cnidium Cusson by Grubov (1982), but later, Vinogradova (1994) and Gubanov (1996) are listed five species in the Mongolian flora, namely: C. davuricum, C. kamelinii, C. monnieri, C. multicaule and C. salinum. Results We revealed that there are five species of Cnidium Cusson ex Juss. in the Mongolian flora, and the identification key to those species, their distribution and conspectus of each species are included given hereafter. A key to identification of species of the genus Cnidium Materials and Methods Herbaria materials from the Herbarium of the Institute of Botany, Mongolian Academy of Sciences (UBA), Herbarium of the National University of Mongolia (UBU), Herbarium of the Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences (PE) and Herbarium of the Botanical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences (LE) are used for the present study with comparative literature data. Totally, 118 sheets of plant specimens are examined, which were collected by various scientists between 1920 and 2003. Distribution of Cnidium species in Mongolia is given according to the plant-geographical regions as stated by Grubov (1982): Khubsugul (1), 1. Annuals. Lower part of stem is shortly roughly pubescent. Umbels with 15-20 unequal rays; bracts and bracteoles linear-subulate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C. monnieri (L.) Cusson - Perennials. Stem glabrous. Umbels with 6-40 unequal rays; bracts and bracteoles linear, membranous on margins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2. Bracts absent or 1-2, deciduous; bracteoles linear; rays of umbel 6-15, almost unequal in length. Umbels in fruit up to 5 cm in diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C. salinum Turcz. - Bracts and bracteoles numerous, linear lanceolate or narrow ovate with broad membranous 63 http://dx.doi.org/10.22353/mjbs.2006.04.08 64 Urgamal. Taxonomy of the Genus Cnidium Figure 1. Distribution of Cnidium davuricum in Mongolia Figure 2. Distribution of Cnidium multicaule in Mongolia Mongolian Journal of Biological Sciences 2006 Vol. 4(1) Figure 3. Distribution of Cnidium salinum in Mongolia Figure 4. Distribution of Cnidium kamelinii and C. monnieri in Mongolia 65 margin; rays of umbel 10-40, unequal in length. Umbels up to 10 cm in diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3. Stems solitary, rounded with thin ribs, up to 150 cm tall. Radical leaves up to 25 cm long and 12 cm wide. Rays of umbel in fruit not thickened. Fruits 3.5-5 mm long and 3 mm wide, with equal ribs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C. davuricum (Jacq.) Turcz. ex Fischer et C.A.Meyer - Stems numerous, with strongly prominent ribs, up to 60 cm tall. Radical leaves (8) 10-20 cm long and 3-5 cm wide. Rays of umbel 5-10 cm long and in fruit thickened. Fruit 6 mm long and 3 mm wide, midribs narrow, lateral ribs widely winged . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4. Rays of umbel (7) 10-20 (25). Leaf blade soft, terminal lobes of leaves incised-dentate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C. multicaule (Turcz.) Ledeb. - Rays of umbel 25-40. Leaf blade hard, terminal lobes of leaves broadly ovate, thin, serrated at margins . . . . . . . . . . . C.kamelini V.Vinogr. 1. Cnidium davuricum (Jacq.) Turcz. ex Fischer et C.A. Meyer in Index Sem. Hort. Bot. Petropol. (1835) 33; Grubov, Key to vascular plants of Mongolia (1982), 191; Vinogradova, Plants of Central Asia, 10 (1994), 41; Flora of Siberia 10 (1996), 167; Gubanov, Conspectus of flora of Outer Mongolia (1996), 79. Distribution: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (Fig. 1). Typus: Wien (Naturhstorisches Museum). 2. C. multicaule (Turcz.) Ledeb. Fl. Ross. 2 (1844), 284; Grubov, Key to vascular plants of Mongolia (1982), 191; Vinogradova, Plant of Central Asia, 10 (1994), 42. - Lithosciadium multicaule Turcz. in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 2 (1838), 93; Flora of Siberia 10 (1996), 170; Gubanov, Conspectus of flora of Outer Mongolia (1996), 79. Distribution: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 13 and Eastern Siberia (Fig. 2). Transbaikal-Mongolian sub-endemic. Typus: Saint-Petersburg (Herbarium of the Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences) 3. C. salinum Turcz. in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 17 (1844), 733; Grubov, Key to vascular plants of Mongolia (1982), 191; Vinogradova, Plant of Central Asia, 10 (1994), 42. - Kadenia salinum (Turcz.) Lavrova et V.N.Tichom. Bull. Mosc. Biol. Jurn. 91, 2 (1986), 93; Flora of Siberia 10 (1996), 169; Gubanov, Conspectus of flora of Outer Mongolia (1996), 79. Distribution: 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, Dauria of Lake Baikal region (Fig. 3). Typus: Sankt-Peterburg (Herbarium of the Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences). 4. C. monnieri (L.) Cusson in Mem. Soc. Roy. Med. Paris (1872), 280; Vinogradova, Plant of Central Asia, 10 (1994), 41; Flora of Siberia 10 (1996), 168; Gubanov, Conspectus of flora of Outer Mongolia (1996), 79. Distribution: 4, 9 (Fig. 4). Typus: London (The Linnaean Society of London). 5. C. kamelini V.Vinogr. in Novosti syst. vasc. pl. 25 (1988), 122; Vinogradova, Plant of Central Asia, 10 (1994), 41. - Lithosciadium kamelinii (V.Vinogr.) Pimenov (1992); Gubanov, Conspectus of flora of Outer Mongolia (1996), 79. Distribution: 7 (Fig. 4). Central Asian endemic. Typus: Sankt-Peterburg (Herbarium of the Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences). References Grubov, V.I. 1982. Key to the vascular plants of Mongolia. Leningrad, Nauka, p. 191. Gubanov, I.A. 1996. Conspectus of flora of Outer Mongolia (vascular plants). Moscow, Valang, p.79. Flora of Siberia. 1996. Krasnoyarsk, Nauka, Vol. 10, p. 167-170. Fading, P. & Watson, M.F. 2005. Flora of China, p. 137-138 Vinogradova, V.M. 1994. Plantae Asie Centralis. Araliaceae, Umbelliferae, Cornaceae. Saint Petersburg, Vol. 10, p. 41-42. Received: 23 April 2005 Accepted: 14 November 2006