Dasiphora dryadanthoides

Dasiphora dryadanthoides Juz., Fl. USSR. 10: 72. 1941. (syn: Pentaphylloides dryadanthoides (Juz.) Soják ; Potentilla dryadanthoides (Juz.) Vorosch.; Potentilla dryadanthoides (Juz.) Vorosch. ex M.Shah ; Potentilla phyllocalyx subsp. dryadanthoides (Juz.) Podlech );

C-Asia, Pakistani Kashmir (Gilgit, Baltistan), Jammu & Kashmir (Ladakh, Rupshu, Zanskar) as per Catalogue of Life ;

070722 JM 3: 7 images.
From Changla pass (17600 ft) to Pangong (14000 ft.) on 17.6.22, in Ladakh

Dasiphora dryadanthoides Juz.

Thanks, …, for the wonderful id.

Yes, matches with images at
https://www.flowersofindia.Prostrate%20Cinquefoil.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/arun_delonix/40614310601/
https://inaturalist.lu/taxa/741898-Dasiphora-dryadanthoides/browse_photos
https://botany.cz/cs/potentilla-dryadanthoides/

Sending high res. images one by one.

Fwd: Dasiphora dryadanthoides : 1 post by 1 author. Attachments (2)

There have been a lot of nomenclatural and taxonomic changes to what was known as Potentilla fruticosa and its varieties in the past. A very polymorphic ‘species’ varying in habit, indumentum, leaflet number, calyx and epicalyx size.

I shall leave it to you to decide who to follow as to its current ‘Accepted Name’. I am at this time following Dickore & Klimes Ladakh Checklist (2005)- Dasiphora dryadanthoides Juzepczuk

There appears to be no entry for this in eFI – under any name.

Flowers of the Himalaya knew it as Potentilla fruticosa var. pumila – common in the dry Tibetan borderlands to 5500m; a low prostrate shrub with tiny silvery-haired leaves. There is a line drawing.

Stewart also knew it as Potentilla fruticosa var. pumila from N.Pakistan & Ladakh @ 3900-5180m.

I am familiar with it from Ladakh and at Zingzingbar at the base of the Baralacha, Lahoul.

‘Flora of Lahaul-Spiti’ knew it as Potentilla arbuscula var. pumila – common on rocks and sandy-gravely slopes between Patseo and Zingzingbar.

‘Flora of Bhutan’ (1987) knew it as P.arbuscula var. pumila – from exposed stony slopes @ 3900-4200m in Bhutan & Sikkim.

See: http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/Flora-and-Fauna/Asia/Pakistan-new/i-sWGrnHx and other images taken in Baltistan

I am attaching a fine image taken by Feroze Khan & Mudita Badwhar thanks to Deepak Badwhar -illustrates the habit of this plant very well indeed.

Plus a shot scanned in from a slide taken in the 1980s – showing the habitat of the plant beside the Durung Drung glacier in Zanskar. The ‘soil’ it grew in was largely sand.

Dasiphora dryadanthoides from Ladakh: 7 images- 1 high res.
On the way from Pangong Tso (14000 ft.) to Chang La (17600 ft) on 18.6.22 near to Chang La, in Ladakh.
Seen alongside the road, towards the rocks.
This appears to be in the fruiting stage, flowering early due to being kept covered in fresh snows (as can be seen in the images) at such heights.