B. Papp szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 32. 2001 (Budapest, 2001)

Langangen, A.; Leghari, S. M.: Some charophytes (Charales) from Pakistan

References to Pakistan: ALLEN (1928), FARIDI (1955), PAL et al. (1962). General: Dioecious or parthenogenetic. Cortex haplostichous. Spine-cells abundant single, in pair or clustered. Stipulodes well developed in two tiers. Comments on studied plants: The description is based on specimens from Jati (loc. 3). Plants coarse, up to 25 cm long, and axis to 0.75 mm thick. Cortex regularly haplostichous. Spine-cells abundant, single, in pairs, or clustered, densely covering young internodes, and from 1-1.5 times the stem diameter in length. Stipulodes well developed in both rows, 0.6 mm in upper and 0.5 mm long in the lower row. Branchlets 9-10 in each whorl, up to 10 mm long with 5 segments. Bract-cells verticillate to 1 mm long. Only female plants were found, richly fertile with ripe, black oospores. Oogonia 0.75 mm long, 0.4 mm wide, on branchlet nodia 2-4. Oospores 0.6 mm long, 0.3 mm wide. Ripe oospores also found in specimens from all three localities. Note: Male plants are known from Pakistan (FARIDI 1955). In areas without male plants the species reproduces parthenogenetically. Dioecious C. canescens and parthenogenetic C. canescens are probably not conspecific. There may be two biological species here that have traditionally been considered as one (PROCTOR 1980). Ecology: Brackish water. Distribution: The species is found in several places in Pakistan (FARIDI 1955) (Fig. 8), but is not known from India (PAL etal. 1962). The species is mainly found in Europe, with a few records in China and North America (CORILLION 1957). The findings in Pakistan are the southernmost known localities. Chara vulgaris L. Localities (14): 1. Baluchistan: Quetta, Hunna lake (15 km from Quetta), 24.4.1999; 2. Baluchistan: Quetta, Huric spring (22 km from Quetta), 24.4.1999; 3. Baluchistan: Quetta, Kochlak, tube well water pond (25 km from Quetta), 23.4.1999; 4. Baluchistan: Quetta, Ziarat, rain water pond (80 km from Quetta), 22.4.1999; 5. Prov. Kashmir (India): Chatar area 1998; 6. Prov. Kashmir (India): Rawla Kot, Lake Manjosa, 19.10.1996, leg.: M. K. Leghari; 7. Prov. Northwest Frontier: Peshawar, Heripur, Tarbella dam, 21.4.1999; 8. Prov. Northwest Frontier: Peshawar valley; Warsk, rice field pond on the Warsk road side, 22.10.1998; 9. Prov. Punjab: Islamabad, Muree road, Rata hotar, spring water, 23.3.1999; 10. Prov. Punjab: Islamabad, Rawla lake, 24.3.1999; 11. Prov. Sindh: Sanghar, Bakar lake, 10.3.1996; 12. Prov. Sindh: Sanghar, Jati pond near Tando Mitha Khan, 28.12.1997; 13. Prov. Sindh: Sanghar, Tando Adam road to Kindiari near Nala bridge at MNV Drin, 20.2.1996; 14. Prov. Sindh: Sanghar, Tando Mitha Khan, above saline lake Patehal, 30.4.1995.