Suaeda aralocaspica explained

Suaeda aralocaspica is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae that is restricted to the deserts of Central Asia. It is a halophyte and uses carbon fixation but lacks the characteristic leaf anatomy of other plants (known as kranz anatomy). Carrying out complete C₄ photosynthesis within individual cells, these plants instead are known as single‐cell C4 system or SCC₄ plants.^[1] This makes them distinct from typical C₄ plants, which require the collaboration of two types of photosynthetic cells. SCC₄ plants have features that make them potentially valuable in engineering higher photosynthetic efficiencies in agriculturally important C₃ carbon fixation species such as rice. To address this, the 467 Mb genome of S. aralocaspica has been sequenced to help understanding of the evolution of SCC₄ photosynthesis and contribute to the engineering of C₄ photosynthesis into other economically important crops.^[2]

It is monoecious, annual and grows to a height of between 20cmand(-)50cmcm (10inchesand(-)20inchescm). It flowers in August, producing seeds of two different sizes that differ in their morphology, dormancy and germination characteristics.^[3]

The species was formerly classified in its own genus Borszczowia, which is now treated as section within genus Suaeda.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Voznesenskaya. Elena V.. Edwards. Gerald E.. Kiirats. Olavi. Artyusheva. Elena G.. Franceschi. Vincent R.. 2003. Development of biochemical specialization and organelle partitioning in the single-cell C4 system in leaves of Borszczowia aralocaspica (Chenopodiaceae). American Journal of Botany. en. 90. 12. 1669–1680. 10.3732/ajb.90.12.1669. 21653343. 1537-2197.
2. Wang. Lei. Ma. Ganglong. Wang. Hongling. Cheng. Chao. Mu. Shuyong. Quan. Weili. Jiang. Li. Zhao. Zhenyong. Zhang. Yu. Zhang. Ke. Wang. Xuelian. 2019-09-01. A draft genome assembly of halophyte Suaeda aralocaspica, a plant that performs C4 photosynthesis within individual cells. GigaScience. en. 8. 9. 10.1093/gigascience/giz116. 6741815. 31513708.
3. Germination of Dimorphic Seeds of the Desert Annual Halophyte Suaeda aralocaspica (Chenopodiaceae), a Plant without Kranz Anatomy . https://archive.today/20120712075904/http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/102/5/757 . dead . 2012-07-12 . 10.1093/aob/mcn158 . 2008-09-03 . 2010-04-08 . 18772148 . 102 . 5 . 757–69 . 2712381 . Ann. Bot. . Wang . L . Huang . Z . Baskin . CC . Baskin . JM . Dong . M.
4. Schütze . P. . Freitag . H. . Weising . K. . An integrated molecular and morphological study of the subfamily Suaedoideae Ulbr. (Chenopodiaceae) . Plant Systematics and Evolution . 239 . 3–4 . 2003 . 257–286 . 0378-2697 . 10.1007/s00606-003-0013-2.