Thalictrum neurocarpum Royle (1834: 51)

Zeng, You-Pai, Yuan, Qiong & Yang, Qin-Er, 2020, Thalictrum punduanum var. hirtellum (Ranunculaceae), another new synonym of T. neurocarpum, Phytotaxa 442 (2), pp. 89-100 : 94-98

Thalictrum neurocarpum Royle (1834: 51) . Figs. 1–3 , 6 .

Type:— INDIA. Himachal Pradesh: Choor, J. F. Royle s.n. [holotype LIV (without barcode)!]. See Yuan et al. (2018) for the illustration.

= T. austrotibeticum Li et al. (2015: 281) .

Type:— CHINA. Xizang: Nyalam, Zhangmu Town, around 707 Bridge, 3205 m, scrub along riverside, 28 July 2013, PE-Tibetan Exped. 4387 (holotype PE 02050379!, isotypes PE 02050380!, PE 02050381!, PE 02050382!). Fig. 1D .

= T. punduanum var. hirtellum Wang (2018: 271) , syn. nov.

Type:— CHINA. Xizang: Gyirong, Gyirong Town, 3100 m, in forest margin, 6 August 2010, PE-Tibetan Exped. 200 (holotype PE 01876617!). Fig. 1A .

Description:—Perennial herbs. Stem up to 200 cm tall, usually simple, glabrous, glandular pubescent only in leaf axils. Basal leaves withered at anthesis. Cauline leaves 2–3-ternate; leaf blade broadly triangular, 8–60 cm long, 7–60 cm broad; leaflets suborbicular or broadly ovate, 1.5–7 cm long, 1.2–7.5 cm broad, papery, base usually cordate, margin coarsely dentate or crenate, adaxially glabrous, abaxially densely glandular pubescent on nerves; petioles short, with large stipules at base, semiamplexicaul; petiolules 2–7.5 cm long, glandular pubescent in rachis. Inflorescence pyramidally paniculate, many-flowered, glandular pubescent in axils. Flowers bisexual, drooping; pedicels 0.7–3.5 cm long, glandular pubescent. Sepals 4, caducous, ca. 6 mm long, purplish-green, abaxially glandular pubescent. Stamens ca. 30; filaments ca. 5 mm long, purple, base filiform, apex slightly wider; anthers ca. 4 mm long, yellow, narrowly oblong, apex mucronate. Carpels 10–20; ovary elliptic, glandular pubescent; style 1.5–2.0 mm long, straight; stigma narrowly winged, purplish. Achenes subsessile, glandular pubescent; body falciform, compressed.

Distribution and habitat:— Thalictrum neurocarpum is distributed in China (Xizang), northern India and Nepal ( Fig. 9 ). It grows in forests or shrubs at altitudes of 2400–3500 m above sea level.

Phenology:—Flowering from July to August; fruiting from August to September.

Additional specimens examined:— CHINA. Xizang: Gyirong, Y.S. Chen et al. 99 (PE02000843), PE-Tibetan Exped. 4130 (PE02050383, PE02050384, PE02050385, PE02050386), L. Wang, X.Q. Guo & Y.P. Zeng 2723 (IBSC); Nyalam, C.J. Chen 92268 (PE01980945, PE01980946), B.S. Li & H. Li 14259 (PE01040607), PE-Tibetan Exped. 1181 (PE01876695), PE-Tibetan Exped. 1301 (PE01876618), PE-Tibetan Exped. 4289 (PE02050388, PE02050389, PE02050390, PE02050391), PE-Tibetan Exped. 4387 (PE02050379, PE02050380, PE02050381, PE02050382), Qinghai-Tibetan Exped. 6103 (KUN0690778, PE00875623), Xizang Chin. Trad. Med. Exped. 1167 (HNWP, PE00875629).

INDIA. Himachal Pradesh: N.L. Bor 15313 (K), H. Collett 693 (K), R.E. Cooper 5682 (E), J.R. Drummond 1152 (K), M.P. Edgeworth s.n. (K, P00145826), C. Howick & A. McNamara 1813 (E00073152, K), V. Jacquemont 2172 (P00145808), J.H. Lace 379 (E), H.H. Rich 702 (K), J.D.A. Stainton 7993 (E), G. Watt 8821 (E). Jammu and Kashmir: F. Ludlow & G. Sherriff 9288 (BM). Sikkim: J.D. Hooker & T. Thomson 1200 (P00145823), J.D. Hooker & T. Thomson s.n. (K). Uttarakhand Pradesh: R. Strachey & J.E. Winterbottom 10 (BM001209878, K, P00145825).

NEPAL. Gandaki: Baglung, J.D.A Stainton, W.R. Sykes & L.H.J. Williams 3986 (BM, E); Gorkha, M. Suzuki et al. 9470191 (KUN1214104, PE01900070); Manang, M. Suzuki et al. 9460294 (PE01900064); Mustang, J.D.A Stainton, W.R. Sykes & L.H.J. Williams 7978 (BM), 7983 (BM, E). Sudurpashchi: Bajura, M. Suzuki et al. 9160694 (KUN1214105, PE). Karnali: Jumla, O. Polunin, W.R. Sykes & L.H.J. Williams 5091 (BM, E), 5459 (BM, E).

Note:—In the protologue of Thalictrum austrotibeticum (= T. neurocarpum ), Li et al. (2015) cited the collection PE-Tibetan Exped. 2848 (PE; not shown here) from Yadong in Xizang, China as a paratype. Upon a careful examination, however, we found that this specimen is glabrous throughout and bears buds in leaf axils, and thus belongs to T. chelidonii , a species widely distributed in the Himalayan region including Yadong. Thalictrum neurocarpum has not as yet been found to occur in Yadong.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype (A) and paratype (B–D) sheets of Thalictrum punduanum var. hirtellum (= T. neurocarpum).

FIGURE 2. Thalictrum punduanum var. hirtellum (= T. neurocarpum) in the wild (China, Xizang, Gyirong, the type locality of T. punduanum var. hirtellum). A. Habitat. B. Habit. C. Inflorescence.

FIGURE 3. Thalictrum punduanum var. hirtellum (= T. neurocarpum) in the wild (China, Xizang, Gyirong, the type locality of T. punduanum var. hirtellum). A. Portion of stem, showing the stipules. B. Leaves (left: adaxial side; right: abaxial side). C. Leaf rachis. D. Leaflets (left: adaxial side; right: abaxial side). E, F. Inflorescence rachis. G. Pedicel. H. Flowers. I. Sepals (left: abaxial side; right: adaxial side). J. Stamens. K. Carpels. L. Aggregate fruit. M. Achenes (immature).

FIGURE 6. Selected specimens of Thalictrum neurocarpum. A. India, Sikkim, J.D. Hooker & T. Thomson 1200 (P00145823). B. Nepal, Gandaki, Baglung, J.D.A Stainton, W.R. Sykes & L.H.J. Williams 3986 (E). C. Nepal, Gandaki, Gorkha, M. Suzuki et al. 9470191 (KUN1214104). D. China, Xizang, Nyalam, Xizang Chin. Trad. Med. Exped. 1167 (PE00875629).

FIGURE 9. Distribution of Thalictrum neurocarpum (●). Black arrow indicates the type locality of T. punduanum var. hirtellum (= T. neurocarpum), i.e. Gyirong in Xizang, China; blue arrow indicates the type locality of T. austrotibeticum (= T. neurocarpum), i.e. Nyalam in Xizang, China.