Saussurea roylei (Candolle) Schultz Bipontinus (1847: 330)

Li, Tian & Chen, You-Sheng, 2022, Saussurea talungensis (Asteraceae), a new synonym of S. roylei, Phytotaxa 570 (3), pp. 275-282 : 275-280

Saussurea roylei (Candolle) Schultz Bipontinus (1847: 330) .

Aplotaxis roylei Candolle (1838: 538) .

Type: — INDIA. Cachemire (Kashmir), 1833, J. F . Royle 36 (holotype G00461025 !; isotype LE!). Fig. 1 ( A, B, E) .

= Saussurea talungensis S. K. Ghimire & H. K. Rana in Rana et al. (2021: 55) , syn. nov.

Type: — NEPAL. Humla district , Talung valley, between Nyalu Pass and Ning Tsho, alt. 4300 m, 13 September 2012, S. K. Ghimire , A. Poudel , L. R. Joshi , S. Lo , P. Subedi & C. Thapa CHH-1352 (holotype KATH!; isotypes TUCH, KUN!). Fig. 1 ( C, D, F) .

Description: —Herbs perennial, 15–50 cm tall. Caudex unbranched or branched at ground level, apically covered with remains of petioles. Stems several to caespitose, erect, 5–7 mm in diameter, densely covered with whitish or brownishwhite tomentose, purplish-brown at late maturity sometimes. Rosette leaves many, petiolate; petioles to 10 cm; leaf blade lanceolate or linear to narrowly elliptic, chartaceous, 7–25 cm long, 0.5–2.5cm wide, lyrately lobed, adaxially green or grayish green, glabrous or sparsely white tomentose, abaxially greenish-white, densely white tomentose, base attenuate, margins sinuate-dentate, sometimes purplish and pinnatifid towards the base, apex acuminate to caudate, midvein distinct, sometimes purplish-green; cauline leaves few, sessile, ovate-oblong, up to 15 cm long, ca. 2.5 cm wide, pinnately lobed to pinnatisect, sometimes margin purplish, base semiamplexicaul, apex acute to obtuse; upper cauline leaves smaller, sessile, ovate, margins dentate. Capitula 1–5, shortly pedunculate to subsessile, tomentose. Involucres campanulate, 12–25 mm in diameter. Phyllaries in ca. 5 series, imbricate, sparsely tomentose. Phyllaries usually atropurpureus or apically purplish at late maturity, sometimes green, apex acute or acuminate, rarely reflexed; outer phyllaries narrowly ovate-elliptic or ovate-triangular, 10–18 mm long, 1.5–4 mm wide, middle phyllaries narrowly ovate-linear or ovate-elliptic, 12–19 mm long, 1.5–3.5 mm wide; inner phyllaries linear, 16–20 mm long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide. Receptacles with bristles light brown, 3–8 mm long. Corolla purple or blue purplish, 10–25 mm long, tube 10–13 mm long, limb 6–9 mm long including 4–5 mm long lobes.Anthers blackish, ca. 8 mm long including tails; tails wooly, ca. 1.5 mm long. Achenes brown, cylindrical, 2–6 mm long, ribbed, glabrous, apex with a short crown. Pappus pale brown; outer bristles 2–5 mm long, scabrid; inner bristles 8–15 mm long.

Phenology: —Flowering and fruiting from August to November.

Distribution and habitat: — Saussurea roylei is distributed in north Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir, northern India, and Nepal. It grows in alpine meadows, thickets, or Larix forests at altitudes of 3000–4900 m.

Additional specimens examined:—N PAKISTAN: Gilgit , alt. 3350–3660 m, 1955, G. L . Webster & E . Nasir 6518 ( GH) . INDIA: Himachal Pradesh, Chamba , Saach pass, alt. 3960 m, 1870, G . Watt 2158 ( K); Kullu , Rotang pass, alt. 3960 m, 1916, R. E . Cooper 5547 ( E); Shimla, Bushahr State , Starang pass, alt. 3350–3960 m, 1891, J. H . Lace 1002 ( E); Jammu & Kashmir, Kashmir , alt. 13000–14000 ft, 31 Jul. 1993, J. F . Duthie 13356 ( BM011033038 ); Kashmir , alt. 12000–13000 ft, 26 Aug. 1992, J. F . Duthie s. n. ( BM011033039 ); Kashmir , alt. 11400 ft, 20 Jul. 1976, C. B . Clarke 29265 ( BM011033040 ); Kashmir , alt. 11200 ft, 15 Aug. 1976, C. B . Clarke 31301 ( BM011033041 ); Tsurlat Pasc, Salnai Sar, alt. 13500 ft, 1969, O . Polunin 9641 ( BM011033037 ); Lahul & Spiti, Chota Dara , alt. 3750 m, Aug. 1988, R . McBeath 2181 ( E); N. W . Himalaya, Harang, alt. 11000–14000 ft, 1864, Brandis 3903 ( CAL0000016949 ); Wangta valley above Grammon, alt. 11000–14000 ft, 1864, Brandis 3904 ( CAL0000016948 ) ; Uttarakhand, Tehri Garhwal, Rudugaira , alt. 13300ft, 1952, P. P . Huggins 151 ( BM011033051 ); Tehri Garhwal , Rhuduphera, alt. 3350– 3660 m, 1883, J. F . Duthie 857 ( K) . NEPAL: Dhawalagiri, Mustang, Tukucha , alt. 3050 m, 1954, J . D. A. Stainton et al. 7946 ( A, BM, E); Mustang, Tukucha, Kali Gandaki, alt. 10000 ft, 15 Sep. 1954, J . D. A. Stainton et al. 7846 ( BM011033049 ); Samargaon , alt. 4572 m, 16 Aug. 1954, J . D. A. Stainton et al. 7297 ( E, KATH, BM011033047 ) ; Gandaki, Manang, Marsyandi valley , alt. 4115 m, 11 Jul. 1950, D. G . Lowndes 1179 ( BM, E) ; Karnali, Babaria Lekh , alt. 13000 ft, 9 Jul. 1952, O . Polunin et al. 76 ( BM011033046 , P02687406 , E00469186 ); Dolpa, Balangra pass, 21 Jul. 1952, O . Polunin et al. 2518 ( BM, E, P02687408 ); Humla, Til pass, 4300 m, 12 Aug. S. R . Zhang et al. H0605 ( PE); Humla, between Mane peme to Til , 4000 m, 12 Aug. 2019, S. R . Zhang et al. H0565 ( PE); Jumla , alt. 10000 ft, 30 Aug. 1952, O . Polunin et al. 3101 ( BM011033031 , E00469185 ); Jumla, Bhurchula Lekh , alt. 3350–3500 m, 12 Jul. 1952, O . Polunin et al. 4604 ( BM, E); Kaigaon , alt. 12500ft, 21 Jun. 1966, T. B . Shrestha 5176 ( BM011033050 ); Kaigaon , alt. 13000 ft, 21 Jun. 1966, J . D. A. Stainton et al. 5444 ( BM011033053 ); Tarakot, south of Lingdo and southeast of Riwa , alt. 3900 m, 11 Jul. 1973, Grey-Wilson & Phillips s. n. ( BM011033045 ) ; Lumbini Pradesh, Kunawar , alt. 11000–14000ft, 1841, T . Thomson 1965 ( CAL0000016950 , P02687410 ) ; Seti, Bajhang, Saipal , alt. 4880 m, 19 Aug. 1954, J. E. M . Arnold 102 ( BM); Guruchi lekh, alt. 3350 m, 1990, N. K . Bhattarai 90/1240 ( KATH) ; Sudurpashchim Pradesh, Darchula, Jengla , alt. 4700 m, 26 Aug. 1973, Grey-Wilson & Phillips 739 ( BM011033052 ) .

Notes: — Saussurea talungensis was described on the basis of one collection, S. K. Ghimire, A. Poudel, L. R. Joshi, S. Lo, P. Subedi & C. Thapa CHH-1352 (KATH, TUCH, KUN; Fig. A), from Talung valley, Humla district in NW Nepal. In the protologue, the author stated that the new species resembles S. roylei ( Fig. 2 ) and S. lanata Y. L. Chen & S.Y. Liang in Chen et al. (1981: 96) ( Fig. 3 ) in habit, but it can be distinguished in having longer leaf petioles, purplish leaf margin, 1 or 3 capitula, shorter phyllaries, shorter receptacle bristles and anthers, comparatively shorter corolla with shorter lobes.

Saussurea lanata was described on the basis of one collection, Tibet Chinese Mater. Medic & Herbs Exped. 3824 (holotype, PE; isotype, PE; Fig. 4 ), from Mainling, Tibet, China. It is indeed similar to S. talungensis in tomentose stems and rosette leaves usually lobed, but readily distinguishable, among other characters, by having densely pubescent, reflexed or patent phyllaries and coriaceous leaves ( Fig. 3 ). The morphological characters of S. talungensis are actually reminiscent of those of S. roylei , a species of the Himalayan region. Most notably, the type gathering of S. talungensis belongs to the geographical distribution of S. roylei .

A comparison of the isotype of Saussurea talungensis against the type material and other materials of S. roylei ( Fig. 5 ) reveals that the two taxa are not essentially different from each other in any morphological characters. Saussurea roylei was first described under Aplotaxis Candolle (1833: 330) , as Aplotaxis roylei Candolle (1838: 538) , on the basis of one collection, J. F. Royle 36 (G, LE; Fig.1A ), from Kashmir. Through extensive herbarium survey, we found that S. roylei is itself indeed somewhat variable in the shape and size of leaves, the size and number of capitula, and the rows and size of phyllaries. It is to be noted that these characters of S. talungensis are not completely consistent with the characters that stated by Rana et al. (2021). According the description on S. roylei in Flora of Pan-Himalaya ( Chen 2015), its stems are 5–7 mm in diameter, while the stems diameter of S. talungensis is> 1.3 cm in the article ( Rana et al. 2021). However we found stems are ca. 6 mm in diameter in the isotype of S. talungensis , and that is inconsistent with the description in the protologue. Therefore, the stem diameter of S. talungensis falls within the range of the normal variability. Chen (2015) recorded the capitulum number of S. roylei is usually solitary or rarely 2, but Rana et al. (2021) said the capitula number of S. talungensis is usually solitary or rarely 3 (2 not seen). During our field expedition to Nepal in 2019, we found the capitulum number of S. roylei is very variable, ranging from 1 to 5 ( Fig. 2 ). Therefore, the capitulum number cannot distinguish S. talungensis from S. roylei . In addition, Chen (2015) said that basal leaves of S. roylei are petiolate, petiole up to 5 cm, leaf blade 7.0–25.0 × 0.5–2.0 cm, margin green; the phyllaries of S. roylei are about 5 rows, but Rana et al. (2021) stated that basal leaves of S. talungensis are petiolate, petiole 9.0– 10.5 cm, leaf blade 10–15 × 2.5–4.0 cm, margin purplish; the phyllaries of S. talungensis are about 4 to 5 rows. To sum up, the above several distinctive morphological features of the two taxa considered by Rana et al. (2021) do not exactly accord with the morphological characteristics of the two taxa and belong to some overlapping traits or misdescription, which cannot separated the two species.

Therefore, the characters used by Rana et al. (2021) to distinguish S. talungensis from S. roylei are inaccurate and not diagnostic. Furthermore, the flowering and fruiting time (August to November) and habitat (in alpine meadows, thickets, or Larix forests) of the two taxa are also very similar. From their morphological similarity and similar anthesis and habitat, S. talungensis and S. roylei should belong to the same species. We therefore reduce the former to the synonymy of the latter herein.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Specimens of Saussurea roylei. A, B & E. Cachemire, J. F. Royle 36 (A. holotype of Saussurea roylei, G00461025; B. capitulum; E. basal and cauline leaves). C, D & F. NW Nepal, Humla district, S. K. Ghimire, A. Poudel, L. R. Joshi, S. Lo, P. Subedi & C. Thapa CHH-1352 (C. isotype of Saussurea talungensis, KUN1511663; D. capitulum; F. basal and cauline leaves).

FIGURE 2. Living plants of Saussurea roylei. A. habitat; B & C. plant; D. capitulum in upper side view; E. capitula; F. basal and cauline leaves; G. capitula; H. capitulum in side view.All photos by You-Sheng Chen based on S. R. Zhang et al. H0565 (PE) from Humla district, Nepal.

FIGURE 3. Living plants of Saussurea lanata. A & B. habitat; C. plant; D. stem; E. basal leaves; F. capitula; G. capitulum in side view. All photos by You-Sheng Chen based on Y. S. Chen et al. 13-0860 (PE) from Lhünzê, Tibet, China.

FIGURE 4. Specimens of Saussurea lanata Y.L.Chen & S.Y.Liang.A & B. China, Tibet, Mainling, Tibet Chinese Mater. Medic & Herbs Exped. 3824 (A. isotype of Saussurea lanata, PE00030132; B. holotype of Saussurea lanata, PE00030131).

FIGURE 5. Selected specimens of Saussurea roylei. A. Nepal, near Balangra Pass, O. Polunin, W. R. Sykes and L. H. J. Williams 76 (P02687406); B. Nepal, Marsiandi valley, D. G. Lowndes L. 1179 (P02687407); C. Nepal, near Balangra Pass, O. Polunin, W. R. Sykes and L. H. J. Williams 2518 (P02687406); D. India, Kashmir, Kunawar, T. Thomson s. n. (P02687407).