Saxifraga jacquemontiana

Saxifraga jacquemontiana Decne., Voy. Inde 4: 68 1841.;
Saxifraga jacquemontiana Decne (Saxifragaceae) is a mat forming plant in alpine meadows of Uttarakhand above 4000m elevation.
This species is mentioned as ‘Endangered’ in Red List of Threatened Vascular Plants of India (Rao et al. 2003, pp.86-87) though to me it is not a threatened taxon as I have seen it in many areas of Uttarakhand and there is no apparent threat to it.
Here photographed on way to Shila Samudra glacier (4700m) in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand in September 2014.
An another upload in eFI is probably not S.jacquemontiana.
Wow!! Beautiful, tiny one!!
Thank you for sharing.

Very interesting and unique post … thank you very much, you always inspire to explore more…!!

Yes, this is Saxifraga jacquemontiana. I have here in connection with a mistaken suggestion that an image of Sedum oreades was this species.
I fully endorse … FIELD EXPERIENCE of S.jacquemontiana, in his case in Uttarakhand. It is absolute nonsense to suggest this is an ‘Endangered’ species in the Himalaya. I fail to see how the ‘Red List of Threatened Plants of India’ was arrived at. It is only possible to ascertain which species are GENUINELY rare, let alone ‘Endangered’ unless there have been extensive surveys across India by large numbers of field botanists who can reliably recognise species “in the field”.  Few such botanists exist and for areas as vast as the Himalaya, the flora remains poorly known.  This has led to numerous common, even abundant species being claimed to be ‘Rare & Endangered’.
This is a seriously wrong situation which needs to be addressed at the highest levels….  It has led to submissions to and accepted by CITES of Himalayan species which are NOT ‘Threatened’….  I keep saying, what about the species which are rare and endangered? Nobody actually knows…
As for Jacquemont’s Saxifrage, this is common in suitable habitat. Stewart found it to be common on high passes in Kashmir @ 3600-4800m.  It is recorded above 5000m in other places. I have seen it numerous times in the NW Himalaya. Don’t expect those submitting evidence to ‘Red List of Threatened Plants of India’ spent too much time amongst boulders on high passes to check its supposed rarity…

 

Following advice from …, it has been decided that members will be able to view the images I submit better, if I re-size them as ‘Large Documents’ rather than compress, as I was doing previously.
As a ‘Britisher’ I am marking the festive period in the UK by sending images of selected plants from: Part I Kashmir; Part II Ladakh; Part III Himachal Pradesh; Part IV Nepal to celebrate the mountain flora of the Himalaya – and, hopefully, inspire members to take LOTS of photos of Himalayan plants during 2017.  Especially, as in my present circumstances, I cannot afford to travel to the Himalaya to take any more shots myself!
See attached images taken on the exceptional Sach Pass, Himachal Pradesh 
Stewart found this to be common on high passes and ridges in Kashmir also widespread in Ladakh @ 3600-4800m; it was certainly abundant on the Sach Pass as well.
The plant honours Victor Jacquemont, a young French botanist who was the first to gain permission to visit Kashmir, almost 200 years ago – he died of Malaria a year later, never making it back home from India.
May I also take this opportunity of acknowledging … and all those who contribute to eFI.  This project seems to me to very much be in line with the admirable sentiment’s of India’s first Prime Minister inscribed below his statue in Manali, H.P.
……………………….

The world would be a better place if every nation and individual citizen of the world adopted such an approach…..

Yes these are superb images of this high alpine mat-forming species. Here in Uttarakhand I have never seen this species below 4000m elevation.

 

Further to my postings of images of Saxifraga jacquemontiana, which DEFINITELY is not rare let alone ‘Critically Endangered’ either in the NW Himalaya or borderlands of Western Tibet.
Some images from Baltistan, see: http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/Asia/Pakistan-new/i-G9GQt4G and other images of this species on this site @ 4680m.
One has to go high into the mountains to observe Jacquemont’s Saxifrage. IF botanists do not get up to these altitudes and when there collect pressed specimens, there will be few, if any specimens in Indian herbaria.
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Fwd: Botanizing in Kashmir Part III : 2 posts by 2 authors. 4 correct images as above
Not as adventurous this time but very cold on Nichinai Pass in the autumn en route to Vishensar Lake from Sonamarg then on to near Mt. Harmukh and Ganderbal.
Despite the temperature being well below zero, my British companion came out of his tent in shorts, first thing in the morning.  I by comparison, had a number of layers on!
1.  Trekking route to Nichinai Pass from Sonamarg
2.  Androsace mucronifolia growing on a boulder above Nichiani Pass
3.  Near Nichinai Pass with Primula rosea & Caltha palustris
4. Chris Chadwell camped on the Nichinai Pass below hanging glaciers – home to abundant Primula reptans & Saxifraga jacquemontiana
5. Chris Chadwell camped on the Nichinai Pass below hanging glaciers – home to abundant Primula reptans & Saxifraga jacquemontiana
6. Chris Chadwell’s colleague striding off from Nichinai Pass towards Vishensar in hail storm – our companion, a gardener from Srinagar, employed by P.Kohli & Co. was not happy, saying he thought he was going to “die of cold”.  His employers thought he could learn more about plants accompanying me on a trek but he was not cut out for the mountains fortunately, my guide, interpreter, cook and by then, friend, Ghulam Rasool Beigh most certainly was
7. Primula reptans, common in Kashmir incl. on Nichinai Pass
8. Saxifraga jacquemontiana, common in Kashmir incl. Nichinai Pass (Oleg Polunin)
9. Saxifraga jacquemontiana (at he fruiting stage) common in Kashmir incl. Nichinai (Oleg Polunin)
Thanks for sharing precious memories …
 

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When camped on Pensi La decided to explore across glacier to see what plants grew across the other side.  Not that many species but a fascinating selection – mostly mat or mound-forming to cope with extreme conditions incl. high winds.
A long and tiring day.
This glacier is apparently, at some 23km, the longest in Ladakh other than Siachen (in the Karakoram) at an average height of about 4800m.
Only went as far as Rangum Gompa in the Suru Valley on my first visit to the region on the University of Southampton Ladakh Expedition in 1980, so pleasing to cross the Pensi La into Zanskar proper some years later.
1. Durung-Drung glacier near Pensi La, Zanskar 
2. Durung-Drung glacier near Pensi La, Zanskar
3. Approaching Durung-Drung glacier near Pensi La, Zanskar
4. Crevasse in Durung-Drung glacier near Pensi La, Zanskar
5. On Durung-Drung glacier near Pensi La, Zanskar
6. On Durung Durung-Drung glacier near Pensi La, Zanskar
7. Chris’ team on Durung-Drung glacier near Pensi La, Zanskar
8. Hole deeper than our rope was long! Durung-Drung glacier near Pensi La, Zanskar
9. Boulder on ‘pedestal’ Durung-Drung glacier near Pensi La, Zanskar (Chris Chadwell) – the sun’s rays cannot penetrate to heat and melt the ice below the boulder, resulting in the ‘pedestal’ underneath!
10. Tired team members. Durung-Drung glacier near Pensi La, Zanskar
11. Camping on Pensi La near Durung-Drung glacier, Zanskar
12.  Saxifraga jacquemontiana (again) near Durung Drung glacier, Zanskar
13.  Thylacospermum caespitosum near Durung Drung glacier, Zanskar
13.  Thylacospermum caespitosum with Sibbaldia tetrandra near Durung Drung glacier, Zanskar
14.  Sibbaldia tetrandra near Durung Drung glacier, Zanskar

Beautiful photographs …

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