Astragalus amherstianus Benth. (syn: Astragalus lowarensis Ali; Tragacantha amherstiana (Benth.) Kuntze);

Afghanistan (N); India (N) ; Himachal Pradesh ; Jammu-Kashmir ; Punjab; Uttar Pradesh; Iran (N); Nepal (N); Pakistan (N) as per ILDIS


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Fwd: Astragalus amherstianus in Lahaul : 1 post by 1 author.

Two images taken by the Late Krishan Lal at 3100m at Kyelang, Lahaul, H.P.  in August 2014.
I believe the identification was provided by an Astragalus specialist but am not in a position, at this time, to confirm the determination.
Flowers of the Himalaya does not list this species.
Stewart records this species from N.Pakistan and Kashmir @ 1200-3000m. 
Dickore & Klimes do not list this species from Ladakh.  Neither did Stewart. 
Flora of Lahaul-Spiti lists A.amherstianus Royle ex Benth. as occasional on sandy slopes and along gravelly riverbeds at Tandi.
This plant has been recorded from West Nepal.  Enumeration of Flowering Plants of Nepal gives an altitudinal range of 2100-3700m distribution W.Himalaya and Punjab.
FBI recorded this from Kishtwar, Kunawar, Chamba and Shimla.
Flora Simlensis records this from Shimla says this has pale yellow or pink flowers.  Whole plant densely covered with shining, white hairs.
Krishan’s images of the fruits do NOT match those at: link – albeit that the fruits photographed are not mature.
Unfortunately, the TYPE specimen of this species in the Kew herbarium has only been scanned in at low resolution, so helps little.
There is a specimen in the Edinburgh herbarium collected by Stainton in Chitral which CAN be zoomed into:  http://elmer.rbge.org.uk/bgbase/vherb/bgbasevherb.php?cfg=bgbase/vherb/zoom.cfg&filename=E00028994.zip&queryRow=1
Astragalus is a MUCH neglected genus.  Would the photographers reading this make a special effort to take images of MANY more specimens but ESSENTIAL to take quality close-up of flowers and foliage (and fruits if present).  NOT just one or two images.


 

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