Astragalus multiceps Benth. (syn: Astragalus bicuspis Fisch.; Astragalus jacquemontii Bunge; Astragalus leptocentrus Bunge; Tragacantha bicuspis (Fisch.) Kuntze; Tragacantha multiceps (Benth.) Kuntze);
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India (N) ; Himachal Pradesh ; Jammu-Kashmir ; Punjab ; Uttar Pradesh ; Nepal (N) ; Pakistan (N) as per ILDIS;
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Tibet, India (Simla, Himachal Pradesh, Indian Punjab, Uttar Pradesh), Jammu & Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan (Baluchistan, Chitral), Pakistani Kashmir (Astor, Gilgit) as per Catalogue of Life;
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Fwd: Astragalus ?multiceps in Lahaul : 1 post by 1 author. 3 images taken by the Late Krishan Lal; the first 2 @ 3000m, Keylong, Lahaul, H.P.
No information about the third.
I understand these were determined by an Astragalus specialist but I do not have time to attempt to verify the identifications myself.
There seems to be confusion as to the taxonomy and nomenclature of this taxon.
I am ASSUMING that Krishan meant A.multiceps Wall?
Flora of Lahaul-Spiti does NOT include A.multiceps Wall but has A.grahamianus Royle ex Benth with synonyms A.polycanthus, A.jacquemontii Bunge, A.multiceps sensu Aitchison (non Wall.)….. frequent on slopes at Jispa.
Enumeration of Flowering Plants of Nepal has A.multiceps Wall. (syn. A.grahamianus auct. non Royle ex Benth, A.jacquemontii Bunge) with a distribution of Shimla to Nepal, with a record @ 3300m in Central Nepal according to Kitamura but no other records at that time.
Despite the above paragraph, ‘Flora Simlensis’ did NOT list this species nor any conceivable synonym. None of the descriptions of the Astragalus within this work come close to A.multiceps…..
All rather confusing. Would not think it likely that a species found at Keylong, Lahaul would grow at or near to Shimla.
A very large and very difficult genus – with enormous potential for muddles!
There are specimens at Kew determined as A.multiceps Benth. collected for Royle:
Also a line drawing:
There is a paper on Astragalus in India but this does NOTHING to help resolve any confusions within the genus: Link (Current_Status_of_the_Systematics_of_Astragalus_L Fabaceae_with_Special_Reference_to_the Himalayan_Species_in_India)
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