Primula sherriffiae W.W.Sm.

Mao, A. A., Krishna, Gopal & Jalal, Jeewan Singh, 2022, Notes on recollection of Primula sherriffiae W. W. Sm. after a gap of 74 years from India with comments on the typification of the name, Phytotaxa 571 (2), pp. 234-238 : 234-237

Primula sherriffiae W.W.Sm. , New Fl. & Silva 8: 131. 1936. ‘ sherriffae’. ( Fig. 1 & 2 ).

Holotype (designated here): Bhutan, S.E. Bhutan, Chungkar, Diwangiri-Trashingong Road, 5000ft, 24.06.1934, F. Ludlow-G. Sheerriff 552 BM000997015 Image! (BM).

Isotype: Bhutan, S.E. Bhutan, Chungkar, Diwangiri-Trashingong Road, 5000ft., 24.06.1934, F. Ludlow-G. Sheerriff 552 E00024747, E00024748 images! (E) .

Description:

Perennial rosette herb, hairy; rhizomes with very short stock bering roots. Leaves all radical, 4–5, oblanceolate to elliptic, 6–15 × 1.5–4 cm, base narrowed to winged petiole, entire or irregularly shallowly toothed at margins, acute to obtuse at apex; chartaceous, densely white hairy beneath, hairs multicellualar; lateral veins 6 or 7 pairs, impressed on the adaxial surfaces, visible on abaxial surface; hairs very densely; petioles winged and decurrent, 2–3 cm long. Scape solitary, terete, 4–10 cm long, glabrous, sparsely farinose above; umbel 3–4-flowered; flowers suberect or horizontally radiating; bracts ligulate, c. 2 mm long. Calyx cupular-campanulate, 1–4 × 6–10 mm; tube copular, 6–10 mm long; lobes triangular to ovate-oblong, c. 5 × 3 mm, farinose especially within. Corolla purplish with white centre, salverform; tube slender, slightly curved, 3.5–8 cm, farinose above (especially in bud); lobes rotate, obovate-rounded to orbicular, 10–12 × 5–6 mm. Stamens attached to throat region; filaments filiform, c. 1.5 mm long; anthers oblong, c. 4 mm long. Ovary rounded globose, c. 4 mm across, glabrous; style c. 3.5 cm long; stigma knob shape. Capsule globose 7–8 mm diameter.

Field observation: Usually at one time only one flower fully blooms and other flower either fallen off or in bud condition. Thus, apparently it appears that flower is solitary.

Flowering and Fruiting: May–October.

Distribution: India: On slopes of grassland in association with Allium sp. , Geranium sp. , Roscoea sp. , in Manipur. World: Bhutan and Tibet?.

Specimens examined: India, Manipur, Poi, Indo-Myanmar Border , 2277 m, 26.05.2022, A.A. Mao & team 80332 ( CAL); E . Bhutan, Chungkar , 6500ft, 07.06.1947, F. Ludlow-G. Sheerriff & H.H. Elliot 12599 E01137726 image! ( E) ; Manipur, Sirhoi , 8250 ft., 23.10.1948, Kingdon-Ward 18248 NY02651638 image! ( NY) ; Manipur, Sirhoi , 8250 ft., 23.10.1948, Kingdon-Ward 18248 image! ( BM) ; Manipur, Sirhoi , without date, Kingdon-Ward s.n. NY02651639 image!( NY) ; Manipur, Sirhoi summit of Sirohi Kashong 8400ft, Kingdon-Ward 17616 E01137725 image! ( E) ; Manipur, Sirhoi summit of Sirohi Kashong 8400ft, Kingdon-Ward 17616 image! ( BM) ; E. Bhutan, Chungkar , 6500ft, 07.06.1947, F. Ludlow-G. Sheerriff & H.H. Elliot 12599 image! ( BM) .

Notes: In 1934, Frank Ludlow and George Sherriff, collected Primula plants growing on a cliff on the Diwangiri-Trashigong Road in Bhutan. W.W. Smith described it as Primula sherriffiae based on Ludlow-Sherriff 552 and was named after in honor of George Sherriff’s mother. Smith (1936) in protologue of Primula sherriffiae cited “ Eastern Himalaya: S.E. Bhutan, at Chungkar, Diwangiri, Trashigong Road. Pale violet, centre white. Growing in wet moss on overhanging rock cliffs in shade

Flowers farinose, especially buds. Alt. 5000 ft. 24 th June 1934” Ludlow & Sherriff No. 552. Type in Herb. Brit. Mus. ”

Basak & al. (2014) cited ‘type’ with details of herbarium label ‘ BHUTAN: Chungkar , Diwangkar-Trashigong Road ft. (ca. l 520 m) 24.6.1934, F. Ludlow & G. Sherriff 552-BM, Photo. BSI Neg. No. 3406 CAL!). In the protologue of Primula sherriffiae the type was stated to be deposited at Herb. Brit. Mus. We could trace out one collection of Ludlow - G. Sheerriff 552 at BM! marked by W.W.Smith as ‘ Type’ and other two other at E! also marked by him as ‘ Part of Type’ in his own handwriting (Henry Noltie, pers. comm.). The E specimens are also from BM as evident from the annotation on the herbarium label ‘ Ex Herbario Musei Britannici’. So, we have considered the BM collection as holotype and the E specimens as isotype.

Conservation Status

The extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) were calculated as 79,946.64 km ² and 16 km 2 respectively by using GeoCAT based on a cell width of 2 km. While the EOO exceeds the threshold value for a threatened category under Criterion B, the AOO qualifies for Endangered under Criterion B2. So far, this species is known to four sub-populations, meeting the threshold of Endangered under sub criterion B2a. Population and threats are unknown for the sub-population of Tibet, while in Bhutan it is quite rare and usually it grows on hanging rock cliff in association with moss stated by Ludlow and Sherriff and Supoorted by Grieson & Long (2001). In 2015 this species was rediscovered from Bhutan after 81 years by Scottish Rock Garden Club (SRGC) members. One of the Indian subpopulation was discovered by F. Kingdon-Ward (1948) from Shirui Kashung and mentioned its population abundant during his collection period. In our recent survey in Manipur, we could discover a good population at Indo Myanmar border near Poi village. We could observe less than 500 mature individuals from Indian subpopulation. We surveyed the Shirui Kashung area also and found the population is drastically reduced. Both the Indian sub-populations are threatened by habitat destruction, tourism impact and other anthropogenic threats. Based on the present observations its threat status can be evaluated as ‘Endangered’ [EN B2ab(i,ii,iii,v)] as per the IUCN Red listing guidelines ( IUCN, 2012; 2019).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Primula sherriffiae W.W.Sm.: A: Habit showing population at Poi, Maipur; B. & C.: Closeup view.

FIGURE 2. Primula sherriffiae W.W.Sm.: a. Habit; b. Calyx split open; c. Corolla split open showing stamen and stigma; d. Ovary with style