Saxaul
Encyclopedia
The saxaul, black saxaul, sometimes sacsaoul or saksaul , is a plant belonging to the Amaranthaceae
.
The inflorescences consist of short lateral shoots borne on stems of the previous year. The flowers are bisexual or male, very small, als long or shorter than the bracteoles. The flowering period is from March to April.
In fruit, the perianth segments develop spreading pale brown or white wings. The diameter of the winged fruit is about 8 mm. The seed is 1,5 mm in diameter. The fruiting period is October to November.
Already listed as at risk of extinction, the saxaul now is facing additional pressure as it is being used for fuel to fight the 2008 Central Asia energy crisis
.
as Anabasis ammodendron C.A.Meyer. In 1851 Alexander Bunge combined it to genus Haloxylon as Haloxylon ammodendron (C.A.Meyer) Bunge..
Synonyms are: Arthrophytum ammodendron (C.A.Meyer) Litw., Arthrophytum haloxylon Litw., Haloxylon pachycladum M.Pop., and Haloxylon aphyllum (Minkw.) Iljin...
A related saxaul species is Haloxylon persicum
(or White saxaul).
of arid areas in China. Being highly drought-resistant, it has played an important role in the establishment of shelter belts and the fixation of sand dunes as a counter to desertification
.
The thick bark of the saxaul tree stores water. Quantities of the bark may be pressed for drinking water, making saxaul an important source of water in arid regions where it grows.
In the Gobi desert, the saxaul is often the only kind of tree found. It used to be, and in some place still is, the only kind of wood that nomads can use for heating and cooking.
When the Russian Imperial Navy brought the first steamships into the land-locked Aral Sea
, the local Governor-General Vasily Perovsky
ordered the commander of Fort Aralsk to collect "as large as possible supply" of saxaul wood (Anabasis saxaul, in the source) for use by the new steamships on their maiden navigation of 1851. Unfortunately for the Russian Naval budget (but probably quite fortunately for the saxaul itself), saxaul wood turned out to be not particularly suitable for steamships, as the hard and resinous wood was difficult to cut, and knotty and crooked saxaul logs could not be stored space-efficiently in the ships' holds. Therefore, starting from 1852, the Aral Flotilla switched to the coal as its main fuel, despite the remarkable costs of shipping it by caravan
from Orenburg
.
, Turkmenistan
, and Uzbekistan
.
Dark cone-like galls are often found on the plants..
A parasitic plant, Cistanche deserticola
, that grows on the roots of the saxaul is prized in Chinese medicine as the 'ginseng
of the desert'.
Amaranthaceae
The flowering plant family Amaranthaceae, the Amaranth family, contains about 176 genera and 2,400 species.- Description :Most of these species are herbs or subshrubs; very few are trees or climbers. Some species are succulent....
.
Description
The saxaul ranges in size from a large shrub to a small tree, 2-8 (rarely 12) m tall. It has a brown trunk 4-10 (up to 25) cm in diameter. The wood is heavy and coarse and the bark is spongy and water-soaked. The branches of the current year are green, older branches are brown, or grey to white. The leaves are reduced to very small cusp-like scales, so that the plant appears nearly leafless..The inflorescences consist of short lateral shoots borne on stems of the previous year. The flowers are bisexual or male, very small, als long or shorter than the bracteoles. The flowering period is from March to April.
In fruit, the perianth segments develop spreading pale brown or white wings. The diameter of the winged fruit is about 8 mm. The seed is 1,5 mm in diameter. The fruiting period is October to November.
Distribution and Habitat
The saxaul is distributed in Middle and Central Asia (Iran, West-Afghanistan, Turcomania, from Aralo-Caspian to Amu Darya, the lowland areas of Central Asia and China (Mongolia, Sinkiang, Kansu). It is a psammophyte, and grows in sandy deserts, on sand dunes, and in steppe up to 1600m a.s.l. In Central Asia, it often forms 'saxaul forests', while in Middle Asia it grows usually scattered..Already listed as at risk of extinction, the saxaul now is facing additional pressure as it is being used for fuel to fight the 2008 Central Asia energy crisis
2008 Central Asia energy crisis
The 2008 Central Asia energy crisis is an ongoing energy shortage in Central Asia, which, combined with the severe weather of the 2007-08 winter and high prices for food and fuel, has caused considerable hardship for many. The abnormally cold weather has pushed demand up for electricity,...
.
Taxonomy
The species was first published in 1829 by Carl Anton von MeyerCarl Anton von Meyer
Carl Anton Andreevic von Meyer was a Russian botanist and explorer.Meyer took part in expeditions, including one to the Altay Mountains with Karl Friedrich von Ledebour and Alexander G. von Bunge in 1826-27. He was the director of the botanical gardens at Saint Petersburg from 1850 to 1855.-...
as Anabasis ammodendron C.A.Meyer. In 1851 Alexander Bunge combined it to genus Haloxylon as Haloxylon ammodendron (C.A.Meyer) Bunge..
Synonyms are: Arthrophytum ammodendron (C.A.Meyer) Litw., Arthrophytum haloxylon Litw., Haloxylon pachycladum M.Pop., and Haloxylon aphyllum (Minkw.) Iljin...
A related saxaul species is Haloxylon persicum
Haloxylon persicum
Haloxylon persicum, the white saxaul, is a small tree belonging to the family Amaranthaceae. Its range is Western Asia, including Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Sinai, South Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Oman, UAE, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, to Central Asia , and China .-Description:The Haloxylon persicum has...
(or White saxaul).
Uses
Saxaul is planted on a large scale in the afforestationAfforestation
Afforestation is the establishment of a forest or stand of trees in an area where there was no forest. Reforestation is the reestablishment of forest cover, either naturally or artificially...
of arid areas in China. Being highly drought-resistant, it has played an important role in the establishment of shelter belts and the fixation of sand dunes as a counter to desertification
Desertification
Desertification is the degradation of land in drylands. Caused by a variety of factors, such as climate change and human activities, desertification is one of the most significant global environmental problems.-Definitions:...
.
The thick bark of the saxaul tree stores water. Quantities of the bark may be pressed for drinking water, making saxaul an important source of water in arid regions where it grows.
In the Gobi desert, the saxaul is often the only kind of tree found. It used to be, and in some place still is, the only kind of wood that nomads can use for heating and cooking.
When the Russian Imperial Navy brought the first steamships into the land-locked Aral Sea
Aral Sea
The Aral Sea was a lake that lay between Kazakhstan in the north and Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region of Uzbekistan, in the south...
, the local Governor-General Vasily Perovsky
Vasily Alekseevich Perovsky
Count Vasily Alekseevich Perovsky was an imperial Russian general and statesman.After studying in Moscow University, he joined the emperor's retinue in 1811...
ordered the commander of Fort Aralsk to collect "as large as possible supply" of saxaul wood (Anabasis saxaul, in the source) for use by the new steamships on their maiden navigation of 1851. Unfortunately for the Russian Naval budget (but probably quite fortunately for the saxaul itself), saxaul wood turned out to be not particularly suitable for steamships, as the hard and resinous wood was difficult to cut, and knotty and crooked saxaul logs could not be stored space-efficiently in the ships' holds. Therefore, starting from 1852, the Aral Flotilla switched to the coal as its main fuel, despite the remarkable costs of shipping it by caravan
Camel train
A camel train is a series of camels carrying goods or passengers in a group as part of a regular or semi-regular service between two points. Although they rarely travelled faster than the walking speed of a man, camels' ability to handle harsh conditions made camel trains a vital part of...
from Orenburg
Orenburg
Orenburg is a city on the Ural River and the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies southeast of Moscow, very close to the border with Kazakhstan. Population: 546,987 ; 549,361 ; Highest point: 154.4 m...
.
Ecology
Turcmenigena varentzovi (Saxaul longhorn beetle, Varentsov’s longhorn beetle) is a pest of the black saxaul tree in KazakhstanKazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan , formerly also known as Turkmenia is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic . Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states...
, and Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
.
Dark cone-like galls are often found on the plants..
A parasitic plant, Cistanche deserticola
Cistanche deserticola
Cistanche deserticola is a holoparasitic member of the Orobanchaceae family of plants.It is a perennial herb tall. The plant lacks chlorophyll and obtains its nutrients and water from the saxaul and white saxaul , whose roots it parasitises.-Distribution:The plant is widely distributed in China's...
, that grows on the roots of the saxaul is prized in Chinese medicine as the 'ginseng
Ginseng
Ginseng is any one of eleven species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae....
of the desert'.