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Arenaria curvifolia Majumdar, Blumea 26: 446 1980. ;
Common name: Chamoli Sandwort
When Arenaria curvifolia was discovered after 121 years : 4 images. 17 posts by 12 authors.
Arenaria curvifolia Majumdar (Caryophyllaceae) was collected by J.F.Duthie, an elglishmen, in 1885 from Kuari Pass (a notch in high ridge connecting Nandakini Valley and Dhauli Valley at an altitude of about 3800m) area. Based on these specimens housed at FRI Dehradun N.C.Majumdar described this species in 1980. Despite of numerous botanical explorations in Garhwal Himalaya by various Taxonomis this species eluded all
In 2006 we (I and Dr C.S.Rana) conducted a through search in its type locality. On third day at the final stage of our futile search rain started at this altitude of 3600m and we decided to make a cup of tea along a rivulet. While Dr Rana was preparing tea on stove I walked towards a steep rock just in frustration of failure. Just as a joke to reduce this tension of failure I said to Dr Rana that we have to call soul of J.F.Duthie to guide us to the spot. Afterwards, I reached just below this moss laden dripping rock and my eyes glued to a white flowered herb suspecting it as A.curvifolia. Few meters closer and I jumped in euphoria, hey Rana ji! we have found it. Elated by my call he ran towards me while our kerosene stove and boiling tea tumbled down on steep slope. We hugged each other for this unexpected success at this juncture. The first picture show Dr Rana with plant later.
Joy of finding a presumed extinct species or a species not recorded for the last one century is exhilarating to a Taxonomist and such moments are few in life.
A little more information and image can be seen at following link:
Many thanks … for sharing your experience related to exciting rediscovery. Indeed a very great joy and feeling.
I can understand the satisfaction, the joy U would have got at that particular moment… Congratulations … and … this find… he place where U found this should be named as ” T- Point”, i mean Tea Point… Very interesting! Congrats … for the great find.
I think the soul of Dr. Duthie responded to your call and helped you find the plant 🙂 Very touching!! Really a fascinating find.. thanks … for beautifully sharing the moments. Both of you deserve a great applause for this fruitful but exhausting search, you could have missed the plant by few meters..superb recollection It appears as if we are sharing that feeling with you. Thank you all for nice words. It encourages and gives strength for another endeavor in high altitudes of the Himalaya. I am back from Dharchula, Malpa area and found some interesting pics. Will post some later after identification. Thank you all for nice words and encouragement. We are at the verge of yet another rediscovery. Hope it get confirmed soon.
Arenaria curvifolia- a point endemic in Uttarakhand revisited after nine years_Aug 2015_DSR_21 : 6 posts by 6 authors. Attachments (2)Arenaria curvifolia Majumdar (Caryophyllaceae) was rediscovered after 121 years by us in 2006. Nine years later one of my research students Mr Satish Chandra Semwal once again reached to that spot, 21 kms from nearest roadhead, and photographed this species. These recent pics are shared in only eFI in the web world.
Though restricted to a small population, the species seems thriving well in the area. Thanks to our ancestors who didn’t find any economic importance of this species; otherwise it may had disappeared from its only known location leading to extinction of species!
Wonderful posting, …
what a rare sighting and thanks for sharing
what an important comment about ecology and saving the wild populations
and what you said about the survival of this and many other small populations’ survival is a poignant story… both for our destructive over usage and insensitivity of the wildcrafters and men who pay the wildcrafters who pick plants roots and all with only their pockets’s without any thoughts for future of the species or for the next generation.
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