Geranium clarkei

I currently cannot put a firm name on this – shall comment further in due course. I do consider it is part of the G.collinum-pratense-himalayense
alliance (see below) but definitely not with what I understand to be G.himalayense from Ladakh.  

I do have some images of Geranium pratense taken in the UK earlier this year which it might be worthwhile me posting for comparison purposes – accepting that Nasir recognised subspecies stewartianum. 

Let me try to explain.  In the Notes Yeo supplied me, he draws attention to the problematical G.collinum-pratense-himalayense alliance.  He considered this was particularly critical in the NW Himalaya with high quality pressed specimens needed (nowadays these can be supplemented and sometimes replaced by high quality digital images (provided the advice given below is followed).  This alliance has pink to blue flowers (sometimes white) in which the stamen-tip and stigmas are never blackish-purple…
I consider it will be helpful for keen photographers, willing to make an additional effort, to know which parts of Geranium to photograph.  Having images of such parts of each geranium will greatly aid identification and enhance our understanding of the genus in the Himalaya – and perhaps you can help with the locating and identification of a species new-to-science! 

PHOTOGRAPHING GERANIUMS: IF only the first one or two flowers have come out don’t bother to collect as the form of inflorescence will not be evident.
The rootstock is important; get enough to show whether compact or creeping, or annual.  You can photograph the base of the plant which should provide this information. Clearly, one requires permission from the authorities to uproot a plant.  There is still  a need and indeed role for the collection of pressed specimens for herbaria in India but that is primarily the domain of staff of botanic gardens/ institutions.
In the early stages of flowering look out for the best-developed unripe fruits available.
If fruit is ripe try to include both dehisced and undehisced states.
If the fruits are falling with the seeds inside them, collect some (many geraniums disperse their seed explosively but some seed is often retained).
Include some loose petals when pressing (detach if necessary). Expose stamens to show filament shape and hairs by taking 2 or 3 sepals off a flower from which petals have recently dropped.
Smoothing out one or two leaves and flowers as you close the press may be helpful; a few separately pressed basal and lower/middle stem leaves are often useful.
Wilted specimens can be very misleading.
Notes should be taken as to flower posture, colour and patterning of petals, colour of stigmas, anthers and distal parts of filaments (not necessary if your photos show these).
And don’t forget to ensure the stipules are clearly shown – something that would have been obviously in pressed specimens, so not mentioned above by Yeo.

I have photographed this species well in Kashmir. Do let me know if you want any enlarged portion for clear understanding.

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Perhaps it may be too early to make general statement because eFlora of India, updated 2014 records both G. pratense (NW Himalayas, Pakistan, Nepal at altitude 3000-4500 m) and G. clakei (Endemic to Kashmir, 2100-4200 m), with well defined key and clear illustration of G. pretense with condensed flowers on short pedicels:

efloraindia.nic.in

Agreed that most of my specimens may fit G. clarkei with pedicels clearly longer than calyx, immature fruits slightly nodding and flowers up to 48 mm across. We have to scrutinize all Himalayan specimens from NW Himalayas with compact infl. with pedicels shorter than calyx, slightly smaller up to 45 mm across flowers and reflexed immature fruits to fit into G. pratense.

At this stage it would be too early to discard G. kashmirianum, especially when both The Plant List and GRIN regard it as accepted name. I am trying to procure the original publication to decide and comment on distinguishing characters especially G. pratense. G. clarkei was published only one year earlier so authors may not have known about it when they sent their manuscript for publication.

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I have been able to procure Image of holotype as well as original publication of G. kashmirianum. An interesting observation in publication sent in Dec. 1984, authors had thanked Prof. Yeo for going through the specimens and seems gave go ahead as new species, before he published his own G. clarkei in 1985.
I have ordered Hardy Geraniums by Dr. Yeo. It will reach me in a week, enabling me to comment conclusively. In the meantime if we have only one Geranium from G. pratense complex (leaving aside G. himalayanum) in Kashmir, what was need for new names, why not upgrade G. pratense subsp. stewartianum (already published) to species level. Perhaps I will have answer from Yeo’s Book.

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The next thing I did was to procured description and holotype of G. kashmirianum, and immediately ordered a copy Hardy Geraniums by Yeo, which arrived today and I was relieved with what I found in the book:

Both G. pratense and G. clarkei occur in Kashmir separable by characters enumerated in eFl of India and enumerated by me above. The Kashmir form of G. pratense is Gernanium pratense var. stewartianum (G. pratense subsp. stewartianum in eFl Pak).

There is an interesting Multiaccess key in the book according to which G. pratense and G. clarkei differ in rostrum with stylar portion less than 4 mm in former and more than 4 mm in latter

The key also has var. stewartianum placed nearer to G. clarkei in that Floral axis is above the horizontal (flowers upwardly inclined or erect) in both, whereas in true var. pratense floral axis is horizontal or below horizontal (flowers directed horizontally or nodding. And these two Paragraphs should clinch all issues

Chadwell No. 31 from Sonamarg represents this variety (var. stewartiana)

I received three samples of seed of this from S K Raina in 1981 an 1982. all the plants raised were distiguishable in leaf size, flower colour and subtle variations in leaf segments

Since he raised plants in cultivation he named the plant sent by S K Raina as Geranium pratense ‘Raina’. Sapru and Raina while publishing the species G. kashmirianum have clearly mentioned that they had sent specimens to Dr. Yeo for scrutiny. This is a good pointer for new researchers. Since the plant grows wild in Gulmarg and above, following Yeo, it could be proposed as new forma (with of course proper epithet following the Code).
I have just got the book. Perhaps it will help me in helping with other specimens in our database, and of course the crucial job of sifting our G. pratense specimens into G. clarkei and G. pratense var. stewartiana, and cultivar (till some one proposes as forma (or some other rank)

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After further scrutiny of my other photographs from Gulmarg I have come to conclusion that this plant is G. clarkei Yeo (syn: G. kashmirianum Sapru and Raina) differing from G. pratense var. stewartianum  in narrower leaf segments (Sapru and Raina; see also image B of G. pratense var. stewartiana in eFlora of Pakistan). Yeo also differentiates G. clarkei by young fruits being horizontal or drooping (young fruit upwardly inclined or erect in G. pratense var. stewartiana), and larger flowers with pink veins.
Here are more photographs from Gulmarg.

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