Leibnitzia nepalensis

Leibnitzia nepalensis (Kunze) Kitam., J. Jap. Bot. 1938, xiv. 297. (syn: Anandria nepalensis (Kunze) A.Braun ex Kraus & M.Paul; Cleistanthium nepalense Kunze; Gerbera connata Y.C. Tseng; Gerbera curvisquama Hand.-Mazz.; Gerbera kunzeana A. Br. & Asch.; Gerbera nepalensis (Kunze) O. Hoffm.; Leibnitzia kuntzeana (A. Br. & Aschers.) Pobed.; Perdicium semiflosculare Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don);  

China (Sichuan, Yunnan), Tibet, Bhutan, India (Himalayas), Nepal, Pakistan as per Catalogue of Life;

Spring generation:leaves ovate or oblong,rarely weakly lyrate-pinnatifid,petiole,1-7 x 0.3-1.3cm, apiculate, entire or dentate,glabrous above,arraneous below. Scapes 2-4.5cm at anthesis.Involucre 3-4mm diameter; phyllaries acuminate,glabrous or sparsely araneous; outer narrowly triangular;inner ovate to oblong,c 7-8.5 x 2-3mm.Corollas white or pink,sometimes purple above.Ray corolla basal tube 2-3mm,outer lip 4-5mm.Disc corollas 4-6.5mm.Achenes (346) not beaked,2.5-3mm (?immature);pappus purplish. Autumnal generation:leaves 4-19 x 1-3.2cm,lyrate-pinntifid,glabrous above,or throughout.Scapes to 30cm.Involucre 4-7mm diameter;phyllaries mostly ovate-lanceolate,acuminate,outer partly araneous, inner c 14 x 4mm( to 20 mm in fruit),glabrous.Outer corollas 4mm,inner 3.5mm.Achenes lanceolate,6-7mm,rather compressed,narrowed above but not beaked;pappus 9-12mm,purplish.

Attributions- A.J.C Grierson & D.G.Long. Flora of Bhutan. Published by RGoB and RBGE. 2001. from Bhutan Biodiversity Portal)            



Leibnitzia nepalensis (Asteraceae) was noticed by me in few alpine zones. This time I managed to photograph it in our Ralam- Barjikang Pass trekking in Pithoragarh District, Uttarakhand.

This image was photographed few kms above Ralam village at about 4000m elevation on 5th Sept. 2017.
The type image is available in Herbcat:
To my surprise it is new genus and species for eFI.





References:

Catalogue of Life  The Plant List Ver.1.1
 GCC  IPNI  GRIN  GBIF (with type specimen) Flora of China 
FOC illustration  Annotated checklist of Flowering plants of Nepal  Bhutan Biodiversity Portal  NARGS  Tibetan Medicinal Plants edited by Christa Kletter, Monika Kriechbaum (2001)  Forest Plants of Eastern India By Amal Bhusan Chaudhuri (1993)

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