Arcyosperma primulifolium

I am currently working on naming, as best I can, the excellent photos (some are outstanding) taken in Khumbu Himal by Marijn van den Brink (I have already been though, initially, another excellent set from Baltistan).  So helpful for him to often have included several (at times many)

images of most plants he photographs incl. of Primula atrodentata (by far the best set ever posted on the internet).

Some I can name quickly other will require a lot of attention incl. those not in flower. 

Never been to Nepal in the Spring, so a delight to get a glimpse into its wonderful mountain flora at this time of year, especially when quality images are viewed. And the familiarity Marijn’s images are bringing to me help me understand better a number of species belonging to several genera I am uncertain about, found in the Indian Himalaya – so this is to the potential benefit of eFI.

The entry in eFI for this species has been correctly identified by Dr Rawat of a late-flowering example from Uttarakhand: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/indiantreepix/UUNibp_lFSY

Arcyosperma primulifolium is described (but there is no photo or even line drawing) in ‘Flowers of the Himalaya’ – they said Pakistan to Bhutan @ 2100-3600m on damp rocks. April to May flowering.

There is a photo of this species in The Supplement to Flowers of the Himalaya (1997).

Stewart knew the plant in N.Pakistan & Kashmir from 1800-3300m but no records from Ladakh. He included a var. brevipedicellatum based on a specimen he had collected in Poonch on wet rocks @ 2700-3000m, published by Jafri.

There are also no records for this species in the most up-to-date check-list for Ladakh nor would one expect to find it growing there.

I came across google images for this species (I always have a healthy scepticism for the identifications of images of plants on the internet, whether taken in the wild or in cultivation – some prove to be correct, others do not).

These included two on the ‘Flowers of India site’: https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Primrose-Leaved%20Rock-Cress.html

image has been misidentified. The location of Nubra Valley was highly suspicious to me and although a description has been provided this has been copied from a reference source (not ‘Flowers of the Himalaya’) and not checked with the first image, with which it does not tally. The two photos are clearly of markedly different plants, albeit belonging to the same family.

It is important to stress that I have found ‘Flowers of the Himalaya’ often to not be used well.  Too many will just attempt to match with the rather small images in this ‘guide’, flicking through the pages  I must keep emphasising it is not a Flora with only a fraction of the total Himalayan flora described or illustrated. I find too few really check the written descriptions, which are brief summaries anyhow, so have their limitations and frequently the geographic and altitudinal range is not checked to see if it tallies.

I use ‘Flowers of the Himalaya’ a great deal but it is only one of numerous sources which I refer to, printed and on-line BEFORE I propose an identification. At best, a STARTING POINT only.  I am not in the habit of making “wild guesses”.  I ALWAYS have supporting evidence and any general statements I make can be SUBSTANTIATED…..   Though, as … rightly says, we are all FALLIBLE and can make mistakes from time-to-time.

Yes, A.primulifolium is recorded from Pakistan through to Bhutan and Nubra is within Jammu & Kashmir territory but it is not a species one would expect in the TransHimalaya.

Another piece of evidence, is flowering date.  The ‘Flowers of India’ site does not say when the first image was photographed in Nubra but

I would not expect it to have been close to April or May, which also should have led to the identification being questioned.