Cautleya gracilis (Sm.) Dandy, J. Bot. 70: 328 1932. (Syn: Cautleya gracilis var. gracilior (K.Schum.) Sanjappa; Cautleya lutea (Royle) Hook.f; Cautleya lutea var. gracilior K.Schum.; Roscoea elatior Sm.; Roscoea lutea Royle) as per Taxonomic revision of the genus Cautleya (Zingiberaceae) in India with a description of a new variety (pdf)- Kizhakkethil AISHWARYA , Mamiyil SABU- Taiwania 66(1): 79‒88, 2021;
. India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh), Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam as per Taxonomic revision of the genus Cautleya (Zingiberaceae) in India with a description of a new variety (pdf)- Kizhakkethil AISHWARYA , Mamiyil SABU- Taiwania 66(1): 79‒88, 2021; . Keys available at Taxonomic revision of the genus Cautleya (Zingiberaceae) in India with a description of a new variety (pdf)- Kizhakkethil AISHWARYA , Mamiyil SABU- Taiwania 66(1): 79‒88, 2021; . As per eFI thread: Cautleya spicata – Leaves petiolate and prominent aril in fruit covering completely covering the seed.
Cautleya gracilis var. gracilis – Inflorescence lax, 1-5 flowered, short floral bracts extending only upto half the length of calyx & rhizome running.
Cautleya gracilis var. robusta – Inflorescence dense, more than 10 flowered, floral bracts extending beyond half the length of calyx & rhizome clump forming. Floral bracts, calyx glabrous and corolla tube 2.6-2.7cm long
Cautleya gracilis var. hispida – Floral bracts, calyx pubescent, corolla tube 1 4-1.8cm long as long as calyx.
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Cautleya gracilis var. gracilis (Sm.) Dandy
Synonyms- Cautleya lutea, Roscoea lutea
Family- Zingiberaceae
Photographed in Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh
Dated – 15 July 2022
Here I am submitting some images of Cautleya gracilis var. gracilis (type variety) which can be easily distinguished from Cautleya gracilis var. robusta (K.Schum.) Sanjappa by its lax 1-5 flowered inflorescence and shorter floral bracts (upto half the length of calyx)
Please refer to following publication for more details
Following above publication there are Four taza under genus Cautleya, so I am adding the key for Cautleya species here for easy identification –
Cautleya spicata – Leaves petiolate and prominent aril in fruit covering completely covering the seed.
Cautleya gracilis var. gracilis – Inflorescence lax, 1-5 flowered, short floral bracts extending only upto half the length of calyx & rhizome running.
Cautleya gracilis var. robusta – Inflorescence dense, more than 10 flowered, floral bracts extending beyond half the length of calyx & rhizome clump forming. Floral bracts, calyx glabrous and corolla tube 2.6-2.7cm long
Cautleya gracilis var. hispida – Floral bracts, calyx pubescent, corolla tube 1 4-1.8cm long as long as calyx.
There are couple of misidentification on our Cautleya sp. page on which i will be commenting shortly. Kalatope id al240911a:
A very nice flower/fruit.. although the petals seem to be quite stiff and I have never been able to see it budding Location Kalatope, Chamba
Altitude 2200 mts Habit herb Habitat wild Height 2 feet Season September It is Cautleya sp. probably C. gracilis. Thanks …, I was in fact struck by the leaf resemblance to the Spiked Ginger Lily plant which is found aplenty here.. It was a learning for me as well. Cautleya gracilis (Zingiberaceae) from Uttarakhand: Aug. 2014_DSR_5 : 4 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (1).
Cautleya gracilis (J.E.Sm.) Dandy (Zingiberaceae) is a common herb in temperate and subalpine Uttarakhand. Here photographed near Kalamuni, Munsyari, Uttarakhand.
I have also added list of Indian species of Cautleya in eFI database based on Karthikeyan et al. (1989) Yes, you are right Thanks … for showing this from Uttrakhand.. Araceae, Arecaceae and Zingiberaceae Fortnight: Zingiberaceae- Cautleya gracilis from Dhanolti-GSG (AUG12) : 1 post by 1 author. Attachments (1).
Cautleya gracilis from Dhanolti, Mussoorie. Photo clicked last week (30.8.14) under heavy clouds. The plant was encountered mostly in epiphytic condition. Place : Saireptlang, Lunglei district, Mizoram . MS July, 2019/03 Cautleya sp. for Id : 6 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (2)
Location : Sairep, Mizoram Date : 21-09-2016
Habit : Epiphytic on trees
Habitat : Wild
Cautleya spicata.
Cautleya gracilis?
… posted it earlier as MS Oct.2016/09 Cautleya gracilis (Sm.) Dandy
SK289JAN01-2016:ID : 8 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (5)
Location: Godawari Botanical Garden, Nepal
Altitude: 5000 ft.
Date: 14 September 2013 Seems to be Zingiberaceae. Perhaps someone else will immediately recognise it to save me checking it further? Cautleya gracilis fruit wall after dispersal of seeds. Thank you … I guessed some Orchid LOL !
Thank you, Professor for identifying this member of Zingiberaceae.
I have rather a lot “on my plate” at present, so saved me the trouble of checking the likely candidates within this family.
Flora of Kathmandu Valley records it @ 2200-2770m below Phulchoki which is in forest above the Godawari Botanic garden, as an undergrowth.
According to this, both C.gracilis and C.spicata are known locally as ‘San Saro’.
The capsules are globular, red. MS June, 2019/10 Cautleya sp. for id : 4 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (2)
Location : Tan tlang, Mizoram Altitude : ca 1,800 m.
Date : 01-06-2019
Habit : Herb (epyphytic or terrestrial)
Habitat : Wild
Cautleya spicata (Sm.) Baker ? Cautleys gracilis Cautleya spicata ABJUL01/35 : 4 posts by 3 authors. 5 images.
Ever since … posted this species, I have been on a look out for them. I finally found several plants flowering yesterday at about 2000m. Please advise if I am mistaking its identity. Beautiful photographs, … This is Cautleya gracilis var. gracilis (Sm.) Dandy. Note the lax inflorescence with 2- 5 flowers while in Cautleya spicata the inflorescence is dense with more number of flowers… Enclosing some pictures for identification please..
Location : Mudhe Dolakha Nepal
Altitude: 6700ft.
Date: 23 July 2014 Perhaps Stromanthe sanguinea Thank you, but I have noticed some differences in the colour of seed pod and leaf.
It is Stromanthe. Could you verify further?
Link Cautleya spicata. I think it should be C. gracilis var. gracilis as per keys at Taxonomic revision of the genus Cautleya (Zingiberaceae) in India with a description of a new variety (pdf)- Kizhakkethil AISHWARYA , Mamiyil SABU- Taiwania 66(1): 79‒88, 2021 I guess all these plants are same and Cautleya spicata. Attachments (3) I think it should be C. gracilis var. robusta as per keys at Taxonomic revision of the genus Cautleya (Zingiberaceae) in India with a description of a new variety (pdf)- Kizhakkethil AISHWARYA , Mamiyil SABU- Taiwania 66(1): 79‒88, 2021
. References: POWO Catalogue of Life The Plant List Annotated checklist of the flowering plants of Nepal Flora of China Wikipedia |