---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: chrischadwell...@btinternet.com <chrischadwell...@btinternet.com> Date: 16 October 2016 at 19:42 Subject: [efloraofindia:253825] Re: Kailas-Manasarovar Yatra::Cautleya spicata from Gala NSJ-OCT 16/05 To: efloraofindia <indiantreepix@googlegroups.com>
*Mr Garg is correct this is Cautleya spicata.* Please note, *C.spicata* has flowers crowded into an erect spike. In 'Flowers of the Himalaya' they describe *C.gracilis* as having a lax drooping spike but certainly early on, it does not droop but the flowers are few and distant. *C.spicata* has spikes 13-23cm. C.gracilis 5-10cm (though it can be hard to judge scale from photos taken from different distances). *C.spicata* has red bracts as long as (thus covering) the calyx. *C.gracilis* has green bracts much shorter than calyx. *C.spicata* grows in shrubberies and amongst rocks, sometimes epiphytic whereas *C.gracilis* is a forest epiphyte, sometimes growing on rocks. *C.spicata* has narrow-elliptic leaves whereas *C.gracilis* has linear long-pointed leaves. Both species were recorded by Collet on Jako, Shimla. The larger image in Cautleya on the Gingers of India site is of *C.spicata*. See; http://www.gingersofindia.com/genera-and-species/12:gingers/ 15:cautleya-royle.html The smaller image named as *C.gracilis* does match this species. *Note that Noltie in 'Flora of Bhutan' Vol 3 Part 1 (1994) considers that C.cathcartii to probably be just be a robust form of C.gracilis.* There are correct images showing *C.gracilis* as an epiphyte in Sikkim & Darjeeling: *http://www.asianflora.com/Zingiberaceae/Cautleya-gracilis.htm <http://www.asianflora.com/Zingiberaceae/Cautleya-gracilis.htm>* There are a number of images of herbarium specimens of *C.gracilis* available on the Kew Herbarium site such as: http://apps.kew.org/herbcat/ getImage.do?imageBarcode=K001057270 which show the distant flowers - though variation exists. Note that this was originally thought to be a specimen of *C.cathcartii*. *The situation is complicated by a number of images on the internet (primarily of cultivated plants both in India and the West) having been misidentified -* *this is common-place. It is worth repeating that my informal investigations suggest at least 50% of plants in cultivation under Himalayan names are misidentified. So you cannot always rely upon images on the internet - the same principle applies (though hopefully much less than 50%) to images of plants taken in the Himalaya, in books and articles about Himalayan plants are also misidentified). Even 'Flowers of the Himalaya' has a few misidentifications amongst its images.... ALWAYS be cautious in accepting the information provided on the internet and traditionally printed articles and books. The content of many check-lists and floras covering the Himalaya cannot always be relied upon. I find many littered with clear-cut errors plus numerous questionable records. It is of course difficult for those without the background or experience to be able to question such things. We ALL of us need to be less trusting of information. As for the content of articles published in the amazing array of 'international' journals that abound these days - beware, it is often not peer-reviewed or properly checked (though how could the content be). Even the information supplied by prestigious international organisations is not always accurate....* On Thursday, October 6, 2016 at 5:42:47 PM UTC+1, raj wrote: > Dear Members, > > Cautleya spicata for validation. Photo taken on the way to Gala approx > height 7500 feet, Aug 14, 2016. > > -- > With Regards, > Narendra Joshi > -- 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 indiantreepix+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to indiantreepix@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- With regards, J.M.Garg 'Creating awareness of Indian Flora & Fauna' <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jmgarg1> Winner of Wipro-NFS Sparrow Awards 2014 for efloraofindia <https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/award-for-efloraofindia>. For identification, learning, discussion & documentation of Indian Flora, please visit/ join our Efloraofindia Google e-group <https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/indiantreepix> (largest in the world- around 2700 members & 2,40,000 messages on 31.3.16) or Efloraofindia website <https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/> (with a species database of more than 11,000 species & 2,20,000 images). The whole world uses my Image Resource <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:J.M.Garg> of more than a thousand species & eight thousand images of Birds, Butterflies, Plants etc. (arranged alphabetically & place-wise). You can also use them for free as per Creative Commons license attached with each image. Also author of 'A Photoguide to the Birds of Kolkata & Common Birds of India'. -- 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 indiantreepix+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send an email to indiantreepix@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
