Thanks, Chadwell ji, for indepth analysis. On 28 Oct 2016 2:19 am, "[email protected]" < [email protected]> wrote:
> This does seem to fit Sagina and the obvious species is *S.saginoides* > (L.) Karst. which was called *S.procumbens* in FBI and this is what > Collet > named it in 'Flora Simlensis' - remarking it was found at Shimla and > Narkunda on gravell walks and road-sides being the same as 'Pearlwort' in > Britain. > > However, this is where it gets more complicated. > > Stewart listed the plant as *S.saginoides* with *S.procumbens* of FBI > non. L as a synonym. i.e. *S.procumbens* L. - the 'Procumbent Pearlwort' > being a > separate species. He recorded as common in Pakistan & Kashmir from > 1500-4200m incl, Ladakh. > > Both are accepted names and we have both in the UK. *S.procumbens* is > common throughout the UK in paths, lawns, ditch-sides & short turf - it is > even found > just 50 metres from where I type in gaps in pavement. Whereas > *S.saginoides* is a rare arctic-alpine plant of barish ground and rock > ledges on mountains in Scotland. > > *Makes me wonder if the two separate species might not have been mixed up > in the past? Collet certainly thought they were the same species but thata > is not the case. Interestingly the 'Scottish Pearlwort' is recognised > which is a hybrid between the two species!* > > > *In the UK (whether this applies in India I do not know) they can be > separated by the usually 4-merous flowers & 4 stamens with petals minute or > 0 in S.procumbens (I certainly remember struggling to detect any petals in > a specimen from my road even with a hand lens) whereas the flowers of > S.saginoides are usually 5-merous, sometimes 4-merous, stamens 10, rarely > 8, petals +/- obvious and generally a more upright plant.* > > *Collet describes petals & sepals as 4 or 5! Flowers very small, white. > Stamens 4 or 5. * > > *As to the single image taken at Narkund (please, please take more than > one shot per plant, several, as explained) - there are only capsules to be > seen, though it appears there are 5 sepals. Would the serious botanists > amongst you look out for this plant on future trips to Narkanda or Simla or > presumably lots of other places and with the aid of the hand lenses I am > encouraging everyone to carry with them when looking at and photographing > flowers, please check the number of stamens and how distinct the petals are > on future occasions.* > > Perhaps both species occur in the hills and mountains of India with the > habitat helping to distinguish between them, rather than one? > > In the UK it is easy. Unless one is in the mountains of Scotland then > *S.saginoides* is not a possibility. But this level of familiarity with > our flora is a result of thousands of active field botanists exploring all > over the Britain over a period of 2-3 centuries. > > > On Monday, October 24, 2016 at 4:49:26 PM UTC+1, Anil Thakur wrote: > >> Kindly identify >> Herb >> October 23, 2016 >> Place: Narkanda, Shimla, India >> Altitude: 8700- 8800 feet >> -- >> With best Regards, >> >> Dr. Anil Kumar Thakur >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "efloraofindia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
