Echinops cornigerus


Common name: Blue Globe Thistle • Hindi: Kandara, कंटेला Kantela • Ladakhi: ཨཀཟེམ Aczema
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Myanmar [Burma] (Chin, Mandalay), Jammu & Kashmir
(Ladakh, Kashmir, Jammu), India (C- to NW-Himalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh), Pakistani Kashmir (Gilgit, Hunza, Astor, Baltistan, Skardu), Pakistan
(Chitral), Nepal as per
Afghanistan, W. Pakistan, Himalaya (Kashmir to Nepal) as per EOL;

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Echinops cornigerus DC. : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (3)
Sharing some pictures i guess is Echinops cornigerus DC. shot at Sangam Leh on 20 August 2016.

We do not have it so far in efi.
Pl. see comparative images at Echinops 

For once I can quickly confirm this is Echinops cornigerus– the only species of the genus so far correctly recorded from Ladakh.  ‘Flowers of Himalaya’ say grazing grounds and stony slopes; prominent in Ladakh – certainly in Upper Indus Valley to 4000m. Also recorded for Kashmir and many parts of Pakistan.
But, unfortunately, then things might become more complicated – just for a change (English humour)! In ‘Flora Simlensis’ Collet has both E.cornigerus and E.niveus as common in Shimla, which seems rather surprising.
He distinguishing between the two on the basis of the outer involucral bracts being numerous, soft, hair-like & leaf-lobes broad in E.cornigerus whereas he says the involucral bracts are few, spathulate, spine-tipped with leaf lobes linear in E.niveus. There is a line drawing labelled as E.niveus. I wonder if any confusion between the two has occurred?
‘Flowers of Himalaya’ does not mention E.niveus, which according to Stewart has records from Hazara & Murree but not Kashmir & 1300-2700m.
Stewart also lists E.echinatus but I did mention this as it seems to be a pains species (rarely found up to 1500m) and with smaller heads.
It is surprising the E.cornigerus should be a ‘new’ species for the site given how prominent it is the Upper Indus Valley – a plant which tourists would notice from their vehicles in open ‘desert’ areas.

Is it correct ID. Noticed already included in the efi !

 

Fwd: Echinops cornigerus : 1 post by 1 author.

Adding to the single image posted previously of this species, the good images attached taken by Feroze Khan and Mudita Badwhar supplied through Deepak Badwhar -in the Upper Indus Valley show a range of features of this globe-thistle and should help distinguish it
from the other species.
I do have other images sent in by a European Scientist but need to contact him about possible permission to post them on this site, IF they can add any useful visual information.
The Khan/Badwhar images represent a worthwhile start and although not covering ALL the characteristics I would have, help illustrate the benefits of having several images for reference purposes.
Not an easy plant to make a pressed specimen of!  On my last but one visit to Ladakh I was giving some instruction to a Ladakhi studying for an M.Sc. in Botany in pressing plants – he was not keen to go anywhere near this VERY spiny plant….