BULL. BOT. SURV. INDIA Val. 21, NOS. 1-4: pp. 125-128 1979

STUDIES ON THE SYSTEMATICS OF SIKKIMENSE AND CERTAIN RELATED TAXA ()

Botanical Slirvty of India, Howralt

ABSTRACT and nomenclature of Geum sikkimense Prain (1904) comprising two taxonomic species, G. sikkimense Prain, p.p., descr. emend. and G. macrosepalum Ludlow (1976), are dis- c~lssed.Ccum L. treated here as an inclusive genus with Sieversia Willd. and Acomastylis E.L. Greene as congeneric synonyms, is shown to be represented in India by-3 subgenera, subg. Geum, subg. Micracomastylis (F. Bolle) Robertson and subg. Geniculohirtistylis Panigrahi et Purohit subg. nov., based on G. macrosepalum Ludlow as the type species. While G. sikkimense Prain, as also Gdelaturn Wall. ex. G. Don, are, assigned to the subg. MicmcomastylL. The remaining three species of Geum L. in India viz. G. rovlei Wall. ex Bolle, G. alekpicum Jacq. and G. aequilobat~mPurohit et Panigrahi are accredited to the subg. Geum.

Prain (1904) described and illustrated coEEector s. n. from Bijan, Sikkim, collected Geum (~i&ersia)sikkimense based on three in 1888, which is also identified with the gatherings made from Western Sikkim oiz. segregate species. The two species resembl- I. Onglathang, near Jongri, June 1887, ing one another in g:neral habit can be King's collector s. n. (K,A). 2. Unspeci- diagnosed as follows : fied locality, 1888, King's collector s. n. ($). Sepals 3-6 rnm broad, triangular, green ; petals white or 3. Hewalungi (spelt in the text as Huha- pinkish white, hairy at the cuneate base, apex rounded ; langhi), September I 93 I, Prain's collector stamens c. 105, 3-4 mm. long ; style entire, straight, glabrous, wholly style persistent ; corolla and stamens s. n. [2q] (K, CAL). Study of the original deciduous in fmiting condition ; rhizomatous root- materials as also photograph of the syntype stock herbaceous ; aerial stem somewhat slender and long hairy, leaves hairy on both surfaces. no. I in K (B. S. I. Neg. No. 4079, CAL) G. sikkimtnse Prain and dissection of the floral parts of 7 speci- Sepals 8-10 mm broad, broadly ovate, petaloid ; petals mens (including the syntype materials in pale yellow, hairy throughout, clawed at base with retuse or praemorsus apex ; stamens 50-80, 6-10 mm CAL) suggest that G. sikkimense sensu long ; style constricted, hairy except at the very aFex, Prain comprise two taxonomic species : the distal part longer than the proximal part (rostrum) and deciduous, rostrum not hooked ; cal , corolla (i) G. sikkimense Prain (Igoq), lectotypi- .ind stamens persist in frciting condition ; r K:'zomatow fied bv Dr. King's collector s. n. (K). root-stock woody ; aerial stem somewhat stouter, glabrous to minutely pubescent ; leaves hairy on up er (ii) ' Geum mrrcrosepalurn Ludlow (1976) surface and glabrous to minutely pubescent beneatK . based on Lztdlow, Sherifl and Hicks 1917 1, G. macros~alumLU~~OW collected from Pangothang, Tsampa in Bhutan on 16th June 1949 (holotype-BM) Geum sikkimense Prain in Tourn. Asiat. Soc. and Prain's collector 204 cited by Ludlow Bengal 73, (2): 200. t. i. 1904, pop., excl (1976) as a paratype. spec. Pyain's collector s. n. et descript. In CAL, we have a specimen, Dr. King's minore, et Tabula 7, fig. 10; Ludlow, Bull. Brit. Mus. (N. H.) ~(5):272. 1976, descr. -- d Date of receipt : 16,7,79, Date of acceptance : 22*4*80 emend, 126 BULISmN OE' THE BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA pol. 21

Lectotype : Sikkim : Onglathang near servations, concluded that the colour of the Jongri, June 1887, Dr. King's collector s.n. flower in G. sikkimense Prain sens. strict. (IS, selected by Ludlow 1.c. ; isolectotype- is white oq pinkish white, not yellow, as CAL.) described by Prain (1904). Acomastylis sikkimensis (Prain) F. Bolle Airy Shaw (1973) considered Geum L. in Repert. Sp. Nov. Repi Veg. Beih. 72: (1753, 1754) with 40 spp. occurring in north 83. 1933. and south temperate and arctic regions, Geum versipatella Marquand in Curtis' Sieversia Willd. (181I) with two specie; in Bot. Mag. 157 : t. 9344. 16~~. north-east Asia and Aleutian Is. and Acoma- Type locality : Nepal. stylis Greene (1906) with 13 spp. in the Specimens examined in CAL: SSKIM: Himalayas, temperate East Asia and North Onglathang, near Jongri, June 1887, Dr. America. King's collector s.n. ; Olakthang, Oct. 1908, Those who recognise Geum L., Sieversia Ribu 55 ; Sine loc., 1887, Dr. King's collec- Willd. and Acomastylis Greene as generical- tor s.n. ly distinct, (Rydberg 1913, Bolle 1933, JUZ- Distribution : INDIA: Sikkim ; BHUTAN, epczuk I 94 I / 7 I) diagnose them as follows : NEPAL. 1. Style conspicuously bent and distinctly geniadate near Geum macrosepalurn Ludlow in Bull. Brit. or above the middle, distal part usually hairy, deci- Mus. (N.H.) 5(5): 271-272. 1976. duous, proximal part (rostrum) persistent. ... Geum L. Nolotype : Bhutan. Pangothang : Tsampa 1. Style neither conspicuously bent nor geniculate, glabrous except at the very base, persistent in its entirety. (z705'~,90042' E), 4200 m. iudlow, Sheriff 2. Style conspicuously elongating in fruit, plumose Sieversia Willd. & Hicks 1917I (BM, photo-CAL). below .. . 2. Style not much elongating in frdit, not plumose Geum sikkimense Prain, l.c., p.p. includ. .. . Acomasglis Greene descript minore, sed excl. lectotype et spec. Dr. King's collector s.n. However, Sieversia Willd. sensu Rydberg Specimens examined in CAL : SIKKIM: (1.c.) does not occur in India. He walungi, Sept. I go I, Dr. Prain's collector ~ildlorv(1976) commented that more in- 204 ; Bijan, 1888, Dr. King's collector s.n. ; formation might be 10s; than gaincd by sine Eoc., 1905, Dr. Pmin's collecior 937 (2 dividing Geum into several genera. Thus, sheets). he favoured the idea of keeping Geum in- Distribution : INDIA: Sikkim, Arunachal tact as Gajewski (1957) did, while recognis- Pradesh ; BHUTAN,S, E. TIBET. ing I I subgenera. Considering such and In including the Prain's collector s.n. similar in~ergradingof diagnostic characters from Hewalungi in G. sikkimense, Prain and in view of the discovery of the same obviously ignored the differences in calyx base chr~mosomenumber, x=7 in all the between the syntypes (two flowering and specie3 investigated so far in this complex, one frui~inz).- as he attributed such variation; Robertson (1974) also treated Sieversia to developmental s:ages tetween the Aower- Willd. and Acomastylis Greene as congen- ing and fruiting csnditions. Althou~h eric with and synonymous to Geum L. Prain described the number of stamens as senst4 Into, and reduced Acomastylis Greene 4.0-ga and considered other differenccs a; to a subgenus, A4icracomastylis (F. Bolle) due to varia.ions in prpulations, the num- Robertson. He cmsidered Gajewski's use of ber of stamens in G. sikkimense Prain is Acomastylis Greene at the subgeneric level mwe than roo, whereas in Geum macrose- under Geum L. as superfluous. He, further palurn Ludlow, it is 5e80 per flower. Fur- defined the subg. ~ickcomast~lisas having ther, Ludlow, after critical study and ob- "style straight, not jointed, basally pubes- Geum sikkimsase Prain Figs. 14: 1. Sepal triangular & toothed. 2. Petal showing cuneate base, venation pattern and round& apex. 3. Stamen with hairy filament. 4. Achene showlng straight, entire and almost glabrous style. . Gem macrosepaIum Ludlow Figs. 5-9 ; 5. Sepal broadly ovate and entire. 6. Petal showing the claw, ventation pattern and praemomu(~ apex, 7. A stamen with hairy filament and domifixed anther. 8. Achene showing the articulated st Ie both distal and pmrimal paw hirmte. 9. Achene after the distal part of the style falls off on maturity, de par^ ma1 part (rostrum) remaining straight. Csum el~tumWall. ex G. Don Fiq 10- 12 : 10. Petal ohcordate and the veins forming series of areola. I I. A stamen with glabrous filament and dorsifiXed anther. 12. ~chenewith basally pubescent style and capitate stigma. G. roylci Wall. ex Bolle Figa. 13-15: 13. Petal showing venation pattern and rounded apex. 14. Achene showing the geniculate style, the upper part being 2-3 times smaller than the pr~alpart (rostrum), mtrurn hirsute at the very bas% the distal part hairy. 15. Mature achene after the d~stalPart falls off, the roatrum forming a hook st the tip, r 28 BULLETIN OF THE BOTANICAL SURVEY OF IND~A IVol. 21 cent, wholly persistent in fruit" and we re- macrosepalunz Ludlow, are shown in Figs. fer here G. elatum Wall. ex G. Don (1832) 1-15; and G. sikkimense Prain (1904) sensu strict0 to it. ACZ