24. Halothamnus Jaubert & Spach, Ill. Pl. Or. 2: 50. t. 136. 1845; G. Kothe-Heinrich in Biblioth. Botanica 143: 1-180. 1993; in Rech. f., Fl. Iran. 172: 255. 1997.
Aellenia Ulbr. in Engler & Prantl., Naturl. Pflanzenfam. ed. 2. 16c: 567. 1934; Iljin in Kom., Fl. URSS 6: 270. 1936.
Annuals or perennials, sub-shrubs or shrubs, glabrous to hispidulous, hairs unicellular. Leaves alternate, sessile or decurrent, entire, flat or semiterete, somewhat succulent, sometimes with multicellular hairs in axils. Flowers in loose simple or paniculate spikes; sessile, bisexual, protandrous. Perianth segments 5, polyphyllous, 3 wider than others. Stamens 5, epipetalous, filaments band-shaped. Disc hypogynous, glabrous, short, fleshy, later membranous. Stigmas 2, inside papillose, tips exserted. Fruiting perianth 5-winged, 3 wider, basally indurated forming a broad tube with 5 distinct cavities (pits). Utricle enclosed; pericarp apically and basally lignified, laterally membranous. Seed horizontal, exalbuminous, embryo spiral.
A genus with c. 21 species distributed from Somalia, Arabia, Middle East, S.W.Asia, Middle-Asia and Caucasus to Dzungaria (China). Represented in Pakistan by 3 taxa.
*G. Kothe-Heinrich, Südring 23, 64846 Groß-Zimmern, Germany.
