This looks correct. I have seen it on Rohtang and another pass in Kulu Valley.
Stewart found Moorcroft's Saxifrage to be common in Kashmir @ 3000-4200m with records from above Gulmarg, Khelanmarg, Kolahoi, Sonamarg etc. Flowers of Himalaya says Pakistan to SW China on alpine slopes @ 3600-4500m. I do not consider it to be S.parnassifolia (which I have seen in Nepal) which has not been recorded NW of Uttarakhand (according to 'Flowers of Himalaya' - though there is a somewhat dubious record from Kashmir). Flowers of Himalaya distinguishes S.parnassifolia from S.moorcroftiana on the basis of basal leaves broadly ovate with heart-shaped base (narrowed to leaf-stalk in S.moorcroftiana) with upper leaves triangular heart-shaped with clasping rounded lobes with smaller petals 5-7mm). One cannot make out the basal or upper leaves in the photos or judge the length of petals but think the 7-10mm for S.moorcroftiana more likely. Flowers of Himalaya says 3600-4500m - the lower limit is quite a bit higher than where this was photographed but the part of the Rohtang I saw what I consider to be S.moorcroftiana, growing abundantly was close to 3100m (or perhaps even lower). Stewart's information for Kashmir of 3000m is likely to be correct. *Enumeration of the Flowering Plants of Nepal (the main reference for 'Flowers of the Himalaya' with the Natural History Museum in London being the authors' reference herbarium, gives a lower limit of 2400m, so clearly a mistake was made in Polunin & Stainton's book - there are a number, not many but they do exist; we all make mistakes*). Collet called a plant he found to be rare at Shimla but common at Mushobra and Mahasu Saxifraga diversifolia. He considered it "typical" S.parnassifolia. He thought S.moorcroftiana which grew on the "Chor" was much taller and more robust with lanceolate or oblong leaves 5-10cm long, FBI included both under S.diversifolia. *Clearly, there has been confusion and differences of opinion about separating these species.* Stewart had S.diversifolia var. moorcroftiana as a synonym of Saxifraga moorcroftiana - he felt the true S.diversifolia was only found West of Kashmir. On Friday, September 9, 2016 at 9:51:09 AM UTC+1, ashwini wrote: > Found a couple of plants of this Saxifrage at 3200 and above. The red dots > on the petals are conspicuous. The habit and leaves (smaller) are similar > to *S. parnassifolia*. Could this be *S. moorcroftiana*? > > *Saxifraga moorcroftaiana*—Moorcroft's Saxifrage? > Above Triund, HP > 3100m > 03-04 September 2016 > > Thanks. > Ashwini > > > > -- 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.
