Geranium rubifolium Lindl.(1840:67)

Wagh, Vijay V. & Hurrah, Imtiyaz Ahmad, 2020, Revisiting the taxonomy of Geranium rubifolium (Geraniaceae) with notes on its habitat and conservation status, Phytotaxa 438 (1), pp. 37-42 : 38-39

Geranium rubifolium Lindl.(1840:67) .

Type: Icon. Royle, Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 26: t. 67 1840.

= Geranium costatum Graham (1841:390) .

Herb, perennial, ascending, 30–50 cm tall; not rooting at nodes with more foliage near base and much reduced at inflorescence. Rootstock 0.7–0.85 mm diam., short and stout, rhizomatous, vertical, covered with marcescent stipules, bearing many shoot buds. Taproot 03– 10 mm diam., woody, tuberous, horizontal/oblique. Stem 1–2 mm diam., square with strengthened corners, not caespitose but branching close to base; lower internodes 1.5–4 cm long; upper ones 7–11 cm long, having retrose, appressed eglandular hairs,(0.15–0.3 mm long), spreading glandular hairs (ca. 1.2 mm long) only at tender shoot apex. Stipules (3–) 5.5–10× 1.7–3.5 mm, deltoid-subulate, connate at base, acuminate-caudate (older ones), otherwise bifid, ciliate along margins, puberulent to pilose abaxially and glabrous adaxially. Leaves opposite; petiole 3–16 cm long reduced in the upper part, with retrose, appressed, straight eglanduar hairs (0.2–0.6 mm long); lamina 3.5–8(–11) × 5–9.5(–13) cm, polygonal (irregular), shallowly palmate partite (ratio of main sinus length/middle segment length = 0.4–0.5), segments 3–5, torullate/broadly rhombic, acute-acuminate at apex, middle segment width at base 1–2 cm not lobed (2 nd sinus either absent or slightly developed), rather deeply serrate (biserrate), 8–25 teeth, broader than long, mucronate at apex, (ratio of 2 nd sinus length /middle segment length 0.11–0.15), strigose eglandular hairy (0.2–1.7 mm long), glandular hairs only on tender apical leaves. Inflorescence cymose, monochasial, scorpoid type; cymule two flowered, solitary, branching; peduncles 1.7–12 cm long, spreading, pleuricellular, glandular hairy (0.3–1.8 mm long) and retrose (occasionally appressed), uncinate, eglandular hairy (0.1–0.5 mm long); pedicels 1.5–7 cm long, indumentation same as peduncles; bracteoles four, 2–5 × 0.3–1.1 mm, lanceolate-subulate, ciliate along margins (hairs 0.4–0.85 mm long), both surfaces pubescent sometimes glabrous adaxailly. Sepals five, 6–8.2 × 3–4 mm, ovate-lanceolate, mucro 1–5 mm long, cilate along margins, glabrous adaxially, pleuricellular glandular hairy (0.25–2.2 mm long), appressed, pubescent eglandular hairy on abaxial surface. Petals five, 15–20 × 09– 13 mm, cordate, cuneate at base, emarginated at apex, both surfaces glabrous except the base with ciliate margins, tuft of hairs in a single band on adaxial surface and a few hairs on abaxial side. Stamens 10; filament 4.2–5.7× 0.55–0.65 mm, lanceolate, broadly dilated at base, tapering into a narrow long apex, apex pinkish, 1/2–1/3 rd margins ciliate with 0.15–0.85 mm long hairs, abaxial surface with few trichomes in lower region, glabrous on adaxial surface; anthers 1– 1.5mm long. Nectaries 5, globular to deltoid with a tuft of hairs at the apex. Fruits 28–35 mm long; mericarps 3.7–4.4 mm long, surface without ridges, wrinkles only when intact in fruit, pilose eglandular hairy, (0.15–0.7 mm long), few glandular hairs on dorsal apical region, (ca. 1.9 mm long), callus with a tuft of hairs; rostrum 18–25 mm long, with both eglandular as well as glandular hairs on outer surface of awn, and uniseriate minutely puberulent hairs (ca. 0.28 mm long) on inner surface; apex narrow 2.5–3.3 mm long, eglandular hairy; stigmatic remains 3.5–4.5 mm (– 5 mm long). Seeds five, 3.4–3.6 mm long, surface reticulate faintly sculptured, glabrous.

Phenology: — Flowering during July to August and fruiting in August to September.

Notes: Geranium rubifolium is characterized by its distinct type of leaves consisting of three prominent broad segments and two basal inconspicuous ones that are often absent in younger leaves. It shows some resemblance with G. wallichianum D. Don ex Sweet (1821: 90) , but differs from the latter in having lesser number of leaf segments, serrate (some time biserrate) but not lobed margins and leaf surface relatively lustrous. The flowering axis in G. rubifolium is distinct above the foliage arching sideways, peduncles almost parallel to axis with 2 forking straight pedicels and having lanceolate-subulate stipules whereas in G. wallichianum , the flowering axis is not distinctly above the foliage, the peduncles rather bearing two reflexed pedicels and stipules are broadly ovate. The distribution area of G. rubifolium overlaps with that of G. wallichianum and also the leaves, flowers and fruits of G. rubifolium resembles more or less with G. wallichianum that actually deceives the collector, who apprehends these two species as one, in the field. This may be a reason for lack of new representation of G. rubifolium from 1839 onwards.

Distribution and habitat: —The only precise locality known for G. rubifolium was Banihal pass of Jammu and Kashmir state ( Nasir 1983). The species has now been collected from two more localities in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir: Chandanwari Pahalgam and Duksum ( Fig. 1 ). Another locality of distribution i.e, Aharbal has been revealed by authors from S.K. Raina’s collection. It was collected in Alpine Pine forests, on both the banks of a stream flowing between two hill tops and some time in plain pine forest area at an elevation of 2400–3100 m. The dominant associates of G. rubifolium in theses localities are Fragaria vesca L. (1753: 494), Urtica dioica L. (1753: 984), Lamium album L. (1753: 579) and Myriactis nepalensis Less. (1831:128) .

Conservation status: —The population of Geranium rubifolium in Chandanwari Pahalgam and Duksum were small and scattered, with about 15 to 25 individuals each. The Extent of Occurrence (EOO) and Area of Occupancy (AOO) of the species have been estimated as ± 100 km 2 and ± 5 km 2 respectively. According to IUCN (2001) criteria (B1B2biiciii) (Area of Occupancy estimated to be less than 10 km 2 and known to exist not more than 3 locations), this species can be categorized as Critically Endangered. Heavy grazing by livestock reared by the inhabiting Gujjar community in this area may push this species to further endangerments. Additionally, Duksum and Chandanwari are listed among the famous tourist places and Chandanwari also being a base camp for tens thousands of pilgrims who come to visit the Amaranth cave, may add further menace to the population. In both the areas the species is spread within an area of 1 km 2 that highlights its narrow distribution and frequency. The species must be considered as narrow endemic to India, since there is no representation from adjacent countries.

Specimens examined: — INDIA. Jammu & Kashmir: Anantnag , Duksum, 33 o 36’39” N, 75 o 25’17” E, 2417 m, 27 Aug 2018, Imtiyaz A. Hurrah & Sameer A. Dar 320222, 320224 ( LWG!) ; Chandanwari , Pahalgam, 34 o 04’34” N, 75 o 24’57” E, 3027 m, 28 Aug 2018, Imtiyaz A. Hurrah & Rayees A. Lone 320230, 320237, 320238, 320239 ( LWG!) ; Aharbal , 7 Aug 1980, S. K. Raina 612 SKR ( KASH!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Location and distribution of Geranium rubifolium in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir.