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Representatives of the Chenopodiaceae Vent. family are the hallmark of the flora of the desert regionsof Kazakhstan, as they far outnumber other leading families. Moreover, this applies not only to the flora of the mountainousterritories, but also to the flora of the river valleys, in particular, the flora of the wide valley of the Syrdarya river. Thepredominance of Chenopodiaceae is due to the excellent adaptability of its species to desert conditions. Quite a few speciesof Chenopodiaceae are dominant plant communities, especially in the middle deserts of the North Turan province. Amongthem there are many species that have useful properties (forage, landscape, medicinal, etc.). The aim of the work was toidentify the current species composition of the Chenopodiaceae family (Amaranthaceae Juss.) of the flora of the desertpart of the Syrdarya river valley. Classical botanical methods were used in the research process. As a result of the conductedstudies, the modern species composition of the Chenopodiaceae family of the studied territory, consisting of 112 speciesfrom 38 genera, was revealed. The three largest genera include genera: Salsola–17 species, Atriplex–15 species, Suaeda–11species. The remaining genera contain from 6 to 1 species. Genera represented by a small number of species predominate(26 genera of 1–2 species each).

The aims of the present study are to provide biodiversity assessment and to contribute to the updating the flora of Sudan. A total of (28) species belonging to (15) genera were compiled to comprise members of the family Chenopodiaceae in the Sudan, with the addition of (12) new records. Range extension of (6) species and habitat-specific trends of (10) species were recorded. These species were compiled as a result of comprehensive literature review, herbarium collections and long-term field surveys. Anabasis ehrenbergii, Kochia cana, Sevada schimperi were previously recorded in the main Flora but were no longer reported by subsequent floristic studies (specially along the Red Sea Coastal region), and may be regarded as extinct or vanished. The disappearance of these species was attributed to destruction of natural habitats and climatic changes, suggesting the need for conservation efforts.

В статье обсуждаются особенности распространения эндемичных для Казахстана видов семействаChenopodiaceae. На основании анализа информации монографических работ, отдельных статей, просмотра гербарных образцов обосновывается список эндемичных видов. В результате проведенного анализа выявляется ареал эндемичных видов на территории республики.

In the present research, we report the isolation of five 30-noroleanane triterpenoid saponins (1–5), nine oleanane triterpenoid saponins (6–14), and twenty-one other compounds (15–35) from the whole plants of Salicornia europaea Linn. Compound 1, 3-O-β-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-[β-xylopyranosyl-(l→3)]-β-glucuronopyranosyl 30-noroleanolic acid 28-O-β-glucopyranosyl ester, is a previously undescribed nortriterpenoid saponin. The chemical structures were established by detailed analysis of the MS and NMR spectroscopic data or comparison with literature data. Furthermore, the chemotaxonomic significance of 30-noroleanane triterpenoids was discussed in the family Chenopodiaceae and Amaranthaceae.

The aim of the present study is to determine the micro-morphological properties of the leaf surfaces of nine species belonging to the family Chenopodiaceae, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Leaf surfaces were noticed to vary considerably with respect to cuticle structural types, stomatal pores position, guard cells cuticular ledges and types of trichomes. Lamellate and lamellate-reticulate cuticular types were recognized. These cuticular folds undergo various patterns, depth and orientation in the various species examined. Sunken, ridged, leveled, raised or depressed stomatal pores were encountered, whereas, the guard cells ledges were poorly or well- developed. In Suaeda vermiculata the stomatal pores are sunken in high longitudinal folds rendering the ledges indistinct. Non-glandular unbranched trichomes were detected in Bassia muricata, and collapsed salt bladders were reported in Atriplex leucoclada. The results showed that the micro-morphological characters of the leaf-surfaces examined are considered to be adaptations in response to arid conditions.

In early October of 2005, dying Salsola tragus L. (Russian thistle, tumbleweed), family Chenopodiaceae, plants were found along the Aegean Sea at Kryopigi Beach, Greece (40°02′29″N, 23°29′02″E, elevation 0 m). All of the 30 to 40 plants in the area were diseased and approximately 80% were dead or dying. All plants were relatively large (approximately 1 m tall × 0.5 m diameter), and living portions of diseased plants were flowering. Dying plants had irregular, necrotic lesions extending the length of the stems. Leaves of these plants were also necrotic. Lesions on stems and leaves were dark brown and usually coalesced. Diseased stem pieces were taken to the European Biological Control Laboratory, USDA, ARS at the American Farm School in Thessaloniki, Greece. There, diseased stem pieces were surface disinfested for 15 min with 0.5% NaOCl and placed on moist filter paper in petri dishes. Numerous, waxy subepidermal acervuli with black setae were observed in all lesions after 2 to 3 days. Conidiophores were simple, short, and erect. Conidia were one-celled, hyaline, ovoid to oblong, falcate to straight, 12.9 to 18.0 × 2.8 to 5.5 μm (mode 16.1 × 4.5 μm). These characters conformed to the description of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. & Sacc. in Penz. (2). Conidia were placed on modified potato carrot agar and axenic cultures from these isolations were sent to the quarantine facility of the Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research Unit, USDA, ARS, Fort Detrick, MD for testing. On the basis of DNA sequences, two variants within S. tragus have been described in California and named “Type A” and “Type B” (1). Conidia were harvested from 14-day-old cultures grown on 20% V8 juice agar, and healthy stems and leaves of 18 30-day-old plants of S. tragus Type A and 10 Type B plants were spray inoculated with an aqueous conidial suspension (1.0 × 106 conidia/ml plus 0.1% non-ionic surfactant). Three control plants of each type were sprayed with water and surfactant only. Plants were placed in an environmental chamber (18 h of dew in darkness at 25°C). After 1 day, all plants were transferred to a greenhouse (20 to 25°C, 30 to 50% relative humidity, and natural light augmented with 12-h light periods with 500-W sodium vapor lights). Lesions developed on stems of inoculated Type A plants after 5 days. After 14 days, all inoculated Type A plants were dead. Lesions on Type B plants were small and localized; all plants were diseased but no plants died. No symptoms occurred on control plants. C. gloeosporioides was reisolated 14 to 21 days after inoculation from stem pieces of all inoculated plants of both types of S. tragus. This isolate of C. gloeosporioides is a destructive pathogen on S. tragus Type A and is a potential candidate for biological control of this weed in the United States. To our knowledge, this is the first report of anthracnose caused by C. gloeosporioides on S. tragus in Greece. A voucher specimen has been deposited with the U.S. National Fungus Collections, Beltsville, MD (BPI 871126). Nucleotide sequences for the internal transcribed spacers (ITS 1 and 2) were deposited in GenBank (Accession No. DQ344621) and exactly matched sequences of the teleomorph, Glomerella cingulata. References: (1) F. Ryan and D. Ayres. Can. J. Bot. 78:59, 2000. (2) B. C. Sutton. Page 15 in: Colletotrichum Biology, Pathology and Control. J. A. Bailey and M. J. Jeger, eds. CAB International Mycological Institute, Wallingford, UK, 1992.

Dysphania ambrosioides or anserine, known in Morocco as M'Khinza, is a plant belonging to family Chenopodiaceae. In Morocco, it is used for its therapeutic properties including, in particular, antipyretic properties. However, it can be toxic if it is incorrectly calibrated. We report two cases of poisoning whose data were collected in the Pediatric Emergency Department in Rabat. The study involved a 5-month old infant and a 10 year old girl with, respectively, toxic encephalopathy and severe dehydration associated with acute gastroenteritis after the ingestion of undetermined doses of infusion of this plant used as antipyretic. They both died in less than 12 hours. This study highlights the importance of considering M'Khinza-induced neurotoxicity and enterotoxicity in order to reach a correct diagnosis, the role of information and the need to fight against harmful consumption. Research on traditional pharmacopoeia should be encouraged in order to identify the therapeutic properties and to formalize, streamline and codify prescriptions.

The aim of the present study is to provide an updated checklist of members of the family Chenopodiaceae in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia, a family that has been observed to be well adapted and successfully dominate many parts of this region. A total number of 38 species belonging to 15 genera were encountered in the area. This checklist comprises 28 wild species, 9 weeds of cultivation and one introduced species. This list includes species recently collected from the area in addition to specimens previously deposited at Regional Herbaria. The genus Salsola with 9 species was found to be the most dominant genus in the family in the area, followed by the genus Chenopodium with 5 species. It is hoped that this checklist will be updated continuously in an attempt to contribute to biodiversity assessment and setting strategic plans for land management, especially in arid and semiarid regions.

A phytochemical investigation of the whole plant of Corispermum mongolicum Iljin (Chenopodiaceae) led to the isolation of thirty-eight compounds, including thirteen phenylpropanoids (1–13), six megastigmane-type norsesquiterpenoids (14–19), eight sterols (20–27), two flavonoid glycosides (28, 29), one alkaloid (30), two aromatic glycosides (31, 32), one aliphatic glycoside (33), one triterpenoid (34), one diterpenoid (35), two cerebrosides (36, 37) and one monogalactosyldiacyl glycerol (38). The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectral data and by comparisons of spectroscopic data with reported values in the literature. Twenty-eight compounds (1, 2, 4–16, 19, 20, 23–27, 30, 32–35, 37) were first found in the family Chenopodiaceae. The chemotaxonomic significance of these compounds is discussed.

Growth and photosynthetic responses of one C 3 and two C 4 plants in the family Chenopodiaceae in three CO 2 concentration ([CO 2 ]) conditions-low (about 243 μmol mol -1 , LC), present (about 378, PC), and high (about 465, HC)-were investigated in open top chambers. The relative growth rate (RGR) and net assimilation rate in the C 3 plant, Chenopodium album , increased with increasing [CO 2 ], though the RGR was not enhanced significantly in the HC condition. The leaf area ratio and leaf weight ratio of the C 3 plant drastically decreased with increasing [CO 2 ], suggesting that the C 3 plant invests more biomass to leaves in lower [CO 2 ] conditions. The two C 4 plants, Atriplex glauca and A. lentiformis, showed relatively small changes in those growth parameters. These photosynthetic-pathway-dependent responses suggest that growth patterns of C 3 and C 4 plants have been altered by past increases in atmospheric [CO 2 ] but that there will be relatively little further alteration in the future high-CO

By atomic absorption spectroscopy there was determined the elemental composition of leaves of Spinaciaoleracea L. (family Chenopodiaceae). 4 macroelements (Mg, Ca, Na, K) and 6 microelements (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Ni,Co) were determined. There was revealed a selective ability to accumulate individual elements in the raw materialstudied plant.

The species of genus Chenopodium, family Chenopodiaceae, are herbaceous and bushy plants that grow in arid and semiarid zones of the world. The main characteristics of Chenopodiaceae constitute its...

Salsola iberica Sennen & Pau, a halophytic forb in the family Chenopodiaceae, is widely distributed in inland salt deserts of Utah and widespread in North America. Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of NaCl and temperature on seed germination and their recovery of germination from saline conditions after being transferred to distilled water. Seeds of S. iberica were germinated at various temperatures and at various salinities in a 12 h light : 12 h dark photoperiod to determine their germinability under these conditions. Increases in NaCl concentration progressively inhibited seed germination. Few seeds germinated at 1000 mM NaCl. Cooler temperatures significantly inhibited germination, while high night (25°C) and high day (35°C) temperature regimes showed higher germination. Rate of germination decreased with an increase in salinity. Germination rate was higher at 25–35°C and lower at 5–15°C temperatures. Seeds were transferred from salt solutions to distilled water after 20 days, and those from low salinities recovered quickly at cooler temperature regimes. Recovery germination percentages substantially decreased with an increase in salinity and temperature.Key words: halophyte, recovery of seed germination, Salsola iberica, salt desert, thermoperiod, Utah.

Suaeda salsa is an annual herbaceous halophyte in the family Chenopodiaceae which produces dimorphic seeds on the same plant under natural conditions, the seed germination is often affected by salinity as well as drought or both. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of salt, drought and their interaction on germination of dimorphic seed of S. salsa and the recovery when stress was removed.

Halogeton glomeratus (Bieb.) C.A. Mey, an annual forb in the family Chenopodiaceae, is widely distributed in the inland salt deserts of western North America. Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of NaCl and temperature on seed germination and the recovery of germination responses after transfer to distilled water. Seeds of H. glomeratus were germinated at various temperature regimes (5–15°C, 10–20°C, 10–30°C, 15–25°C, 20–30°C, and 25–35°C), and salinities (0, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 mM NaCl) in a 12 h dark : 12 h light photoperiod. Increases in NaCl concentration progressively inhibited seed germination, and this inhibition was more substantial in the dark than in the photoperiod treatment. Seed germination at concentrations higher than 800 mM NaCl was low (10%). Cooler temperatures significantly inhibited germination in all treatments. A temperature regime of high night (25°C) and high day (35°C) temperatures led to higher germination. Rate of germination decreased with an increase in salinity and was highest at 25–35°C and lowest at 5–15°C temperature regimes. Seeds were transferred from salt solution to distilled water after 20 days, and those from high salinities recovered quickly at all temperature regimes. Recovery germination percentages from the highest salinity treatment varied from 51 to 100% at various temperature regimes.Key words: Great Basin desert, Halogeton glomeratus, halophyte, recovery of seed germination, salt deserts, temperature regime.

The composition of lipids from the aerial parts of two species of halophytes from the family Chenopodiaceae, Halostachys caspica C. A. Mey. and Halocharis hispida Bge. was determined. Neutral lipids (NL, 62.1 and 54.2%, respectively) dominated the total lipids (TL) of these plants. More than a third of the NL were esters of aliphatic alcohols and phytosterols (FAE). Fatty acids 16:0, 18:1, and 18:2 dominated the acids of FAE; 16:0, 18:1, and 18:3, the phospholipids. The principal fatty acids of glycolipids were unsaturated acids (68.3 and 75.1%) with linolenic acid dominating (44.9 and 43.5%).

Allenrolfea occidentalis (S. Wats.) Kuntze, a halophytic perennial shrub in the family Chenopodiaceae, is widely distributed in inland salt marshes and salt playas of western North America. Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of NaCl, light, and temperature on seed germination and their recovery of germination from saline conditions after being transferred to distilled water. Seeds of A. occidentalis were germinated at various temperatures (5:15, 10:20, 10:30, 15:25, 20:30, and 25:35°C (night:day)) and salinities (0, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 mM NaCl) in a 12 h light : 12 h dark photoperiod and in 24 h darkness. Increases in NaCl concentration progressively inhibited seed germination, and this inhibition was greater in the dark than in light. No seeds germinated at concentrations higher than 800 mM NaCl. Cooler temperatures significantly inhibited germination in all treatments, while regimes of high night (25°C) and high day (35°C) temperatures showed higher germination. Rate of germination decreased with an increase in salinity. Germination rate was higher at 25:35°C and lower at 5:15°C. Seeds were transferred from salt solutions to distilled water after 20 days, and those from high salinities recovered quickly at all temperature regimes. Recovery germination percentages at higher salinities varied from 51 to 100% at various temperatures, but recovery of germination of seeds from salt stress was significantly affected by temperature regime.Key words: Allenrolfea occidentalis, halophyte, light, recovery of seed germination, salt playas, thermoperiod, Utah.

Seven oleanolic acid saponins (1-7) were isolated from the aerial parts of Kochia indica Wight. (Chenopodiaceae), of which saponins (4-7) are seco-glycosides containing acidic substituents at C-3 of glucuronic acid. Compounds (1-6) have been isolated for the first time from genus Kochia and compound (7) is first reported from family Chenopodiaceae. The structures of the isolated compounds were characterized by different spectroscopic methods and by comparison with previously reported data.

The molluscicidal activities of aqueous suspension of Atriplex stylosa (Family Chenopodiaceae) and Agave ferox (Family Agavaceae were evaluated against Biomphalaria alexandrina, Bulinus truncates and Lymnaea cailliaudi snails, the intermediate hosts of Schistosomiasis and Fascioliasis (LC90 for A. stylosa were 180, 167 and 162 ppm while for A. ferox were 192, 185 and 179 ppm) within 24 hours against the three snails respectively. Also, screening of some different extracts of the two plants against B. alexandrina snails revealed that the methanol extracts of both plants were most active (LC90 was 80 ppm for A. stylosa and 92 ppm for A. ferox) within 24 hours. On the other hand, it was found that both plants are toxic against Schistosoma mansoni cercariae. Studying the effect of some simulated field conditions of the aqueous suspension of the two plants such as (different water temperatures, sun radiation, mud particles, different exposure times and pH values) proved that the activities of both plants are nearly stable under these conditions, therefore, it is recommended to evaluate these plants in the field as molluscicides and to isolate their active constituents.

Antifungal activity of methanol and n-hexane leaf, stem, root and inflorescence extracts (1, 2, 3 and 4% w/v) of three Chenopodium species (family Chenopodiaceae) namely Chenopodium album L., Chenopodium murale L. and Chenopodium ambrosioides L. was investigated against Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) G. Goid., a soil-borne fungal plant pathogen that has a broad host range and wide geographical distribution. All the extracts of the three Chenopodium species significantly suppressed the test fungal growth. However, there was marked variation among the various extract treatments. Methanol inflorescence extract of C. album exhibited highest antifungal activity resulting in up to 96% reduction in fungal biomass production. By contrast, methanol leaf extract of the same species exhibited least antifungal activity where 21-44% reduction in fungal biomass was recorded due to various employed extract concentrations. The various methanol extracts of C. murale and C. ambrosioides decreased fungal biomass by 62-90 and 50-84%, respectively. Similarly, various n-hexane extracts of C. album, C. murale and C. ambrosioides reduced fungal biomass by 60-94, 43-90 and 49-86%, respectively.

Contrary to taxonomic descriptions, female flowers of Suckleya suckleyana have four perianth segments rather than two bracts. Consequently, Suckleya suckleyana belongs in the tribe Chenopodieae, family Chenopodiaceae, instead of tribe Atripliceae. Since it is the only member of tribe Chenopoidieae with unisexual flowers and superior radicles, it is proposed that it be assigned to a new subtribe, Suckleyinae

Analysis of stable carbon isotope ratios (13C/12C) of organic matter in land snail shells is used to infer middle Holocene rainfall amounts in the Negev Desert by reconstructing the distribution of C4plants in the family Chenopodiaceae. The organics are derived from the diet of the snails, which consists of plant material, and are enriched in13C where C4plants are present. A survey of modern plant communities indicates that in areas receiving ≥300 mm mean annual rainfall, nearly all plant communities consist of C3species only (no C4chenopodes), whereas in areas under ≤230 mm rainfall, most plant communities contain one or more C4chenopode species. In between is a transition zone consisting of a mosaic of both pure C3and mixed C3+ C4plant communities. Isotopic results for fossil land snails indicate a consistent geographic pattern throughout the middle Holocene, from ca. 6500 to 3000 yr B.P., with the transition zone located ca. 20 km south of its present position. This implies a near doubling of rainfall within this region as compared to present.

The family Chenopodiaceae contains ∼1300 species, including vegetable crops such as spinach and beets, and desert plants such as Atriplex (saltbush). Many chenopod species have C4 photosynthesis. Chenopods Bienertia cycloptera , Bienertia sinuspersici , and Suaeda aralocaspica recently were found

Sugar beet, Beta vulgaris L. (family Chenopodiaceae) is the major sucrose-producing crop grown in temperate zones, and contributes approximately 35% of the world’s supply, with the rest derived from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum). The sucrose accumulates in the underground storage organ, or beet, and is extracted and purified after pulping. There are a number of targets for the genetic improvement of sugar beet (see Table 1), including improved harvesting and processing characteristics; the introduction of resistance to diseases, notably rhizomania and other viral diseases such as those caused by the beet yellows; and resistance to herbicides. However, in view of the fact that sugar beet is a biennial and highly heterozygous, being naturally cross-pollinated, conventional breeding is slow and difficult (Atanassov 1986).

Kochia scoparia L. Schrad belong to the family Chenopodiaceae. It was established in America in the early 1900s and it has been growing in Mexico for the last 25–30 years. Kochia grows well on soils with salinity problems, so it represents a good option as a fodder crop. This paper deals with the evaluation of kochia under different climates and on soils with salinity problems in Mexico. In order to evaluate forage and seed production kochia was established in three locations. Results indicated that kochia is a good alternative for soils with salinity problems; due to its low water requirement, it can be helpful in reducing aquifer over-exploitation; it is also drought resistant. Cattle can eat kochia safely if no more than 40% is included in the ration. Due to its high seed production, care should be taken in its control. It is necessary to reinforce research on animals’ behavior with different concentrations of kochia in the ration and to establish an interdisciplinary team of researchers, working together with producers and cattle breeders, in order to utilize kochia safely and efficiently.

A multivariate analysis of 43 traits of 300 species from semi-arid woodlands in western New South Wales, Australia is described. The 43 traits encompass vegetative, life-history, phenological and seed-biology characters. Five main groups of species were produced which corresponded largely to growth form. These groups were perennial forbs and C3 grasses, subshrubs of the family Chenopodiaceae, perennial C4 grasses, trees and shrubs and annual forbs and grasses. The traits associated with these groups were vegetative, life-history and phenological. Seed-biology traits were poorly associated with the groups (...)

A new triterpene glycoside — salsoloside E — has been isolated from the epigeal part of the plantSalsola micranthera Botsch. family Chenopodiaceae. On the basis of chemical transformations and physicochemical characteristics its structure has been established as oleanolic acid 28-0-β-D-glucopyranoside 3-0-{[0-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)][0-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)]-β-D-glucuronopyranoside}.

SUMMARY A survey of plant metabolites recoverable from aphids indicated that amino acids, sugars, and phenolic compounds do not provide criteria for associating aphids with their original host plant. An insoluble polysaccharide accumulates in the crop of aphids fed on members of the family Chenopodiaceae, and distinguishes Myzus persicae alatae reared on chenopods from those reared on other host plants. The polysaccharide causes swelling of the crop in alate and apterous aphids transferred to beet from cabbage and persists in the crops of these aphids after subsequent transfer from beet to non-chenopod hosts, or in aphids removed from beet and starved to death. Migrants from chenopods can be recognized by the intensely positive periodic acid-Schiff reaction of the crop contents, and the increased cross-sectional area of the crop, caused by the accumulation of polysaccharide.

The differentiation of plants into species or larger groups is usually based upon gross or microscopic characteristics. Physiologic criteria are seldom emphasized and chemical ones are notoriously inadequate in the establishment of significant differences. The order Chenopodiales contains several genera which have been implicated in clinical allergy in man. The more important of these are Amaranthus, Atriplex, Chenopodium and Salsola. All, except the first, are included in the family Chenopodiaceae. There are many anatomic characteristics common to these genera although the gross appearances in the individual species differ enormously.Approximately 300 allergic patients (62 in the Santa Fe group), drawn from the area commonly designated as the Pacific Southwest, have been tested with the same extract of pollen from one or more species of each genus listed above. A significant number of these patients, especially those from the desert sections, gave skin reactions to these extracts. The total number of Che...

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa, Fig. 1), although being a dicotyledonous plant belonging to the family Chenopodiaceae, is usually considered as a cereal because of its dietary use. Indeed, the seeds can be milled into flour to make breads and soups, as well as pasta. Quinoa originates from the Andean region of South America and was an important crop at the time of the Inca civilization (Weber1978). With the arrival of the Spaniards, substitutes like the Graminae were introduced and quinoa was neglected until a few decades ago. Quinoa has recently awakened the interest of scientists and agronomists as a potential “new” crop; mainly because of its high nutritive value and agronomic characteristics. In fact, recent data show that quinoa seeds contain approximately 14% proteins, a protein content as high as 20% being reported for some improved varieties. An interesting feature is the high percentage of essential amino acids which may reach 48% (Gorbitz and Luna de la Fuente 1965) while of special interest is the lysine content (6%) which is, on average, three times that of wheat kernels. In animal experiments, the overall nutritional quality of quinoa seeds was similar to that of milk casein (Mahoney et al. 1975). The leaves contain an average of 20% proteins of well-balanced amino acid composition. Also, food preparations with a protein concentrate from quinoa leaves, regardless of the weather conditions during growing, are of excellent nutritional value for human consumption (Ostrowski- Meissner et al. 1980). In addition, quinoa plants produce vitamin E and vitamins of the B complex as well as some essential minerals (de Bruin 1963). From the agronomic point of view, C. quinoa shows in its native land a good adaptation to cold temperatures and dry conditions. This makes quinoa a potentially suitable species to be introduced in semi-desert areas of the world and to be used there as a food source. Its needs for water are very low: 300 mm of water per year may be enough to support quinoa development. Seed yields average 1000 to 3000 kg/ha according to the varieties in normal growth conditions (Rea et al. 1979).

Kranz anatomies found in members of the order Chenopodiales are described except those found in the family Chenopodiaceae which have been described previously. Illustrations are provided of the gross anatomy of the leaf and of the ultrastructure of the Kranz cells. The structure of the meso- phyll and the relative abundance of starch grains in mesophyll cells indicate that in some species the mesophyll may be functionally differentiated. It is suggested that these species show partial Kranz syndromes. Comments are made on the taxonomic significance of the Kranz syndrome within the order.