Marmoritis rotundifolia


Tibet, W. Himalaya as per WCSP;

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Ladakh flora 7-up. : 5 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (2)

Id of the plant pl.

Please, please always send rough location and altitude. What a wonderful plant – those adapted to higher altitudes fascinate me and are so visually appealing.
In general habit it looks a bit like Eriophyton wallichii – a plant of stony slopes & screes from W.Nepal to SW China to 5400m but it is not this (which is not found in Ladakh).  I describe this as resembling “furry” daleks (not sure if the BBC Series Doctor Who has made it to India).  Then thought of what ‘Flowers of Himalaya’ has as Lamium rhomboideum (which has a line drawing in ‘Flowers of the Himalaya’); Stewart records this from Kurram & Chitral plus Spiti but it has not been recorded from Ladakh. ‘Flora of Lahul-Spiti’ has it as rare in Lahoul but common in Spiti.  Certainly similar in general appearance but these idoes not match this.
So I then thought of Glechoma nivalis, which Stewart knew as Nepeta nivalis. Yes, getting close. I see that Dickore & Klimes list Marmoritis nivalis (syn. G.nivalis) and Marmoritis rotundifolia both of which are currently accepted names. So how does one distinguish between the two?   There has certainly been some confusion. Stewart seems to have thought that specimens labelled as Nepeta rotundifolia Benth. from Kurram were Nepeta floccosa. This presumably stems from Hooker, who had N.tibetica, N.nivalis with N.rotundifolia as a synonym of N.floccosa – which is a distinct enough species, common in Ladakh (that I would not have imaged was connected to these). 
I am currently thinking the images come within Marmoritis rotundifolia. There are some excellent images named as such, see: http://botany.cz/en/marmoritis-rotundifolia/

Thanks … This photo was taken during Marakha valley trek after crossing Kongmarula and comimg down a gorge in Hemis sactuary pl.

Useful to know.