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Certainly an <\/span>Epilobium<\/i> species. But to reach to exact ID is difficult to me.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Clearly an Epilobium<\/i> but another difficult genus.\u00a0There are a number of similar-looking, small-flowered <\/span>willowherbs found in Ladakh of which I\u00a0 understand E.royleanum<\/i><\/u> to be the commonest.\u00a0 However, things <\/span>are not simple.\u00a0 Excuse the lengthy comments which follow.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
The two most distinctive ‘Epilobiums’ found in Ladakh are now within the genus
Chamerion<\/i><\/u> (at one time spelt Chamaernerion<\/i>)<\/u>:<\/div>\nChamerion angustifolium <\/u>known in the UK as ‘Rosebay Willow Herb’ or ‘Fireweed’ – known in N.America as ‘Dwarf Fireweed’ or ‘River Beauty Willowherb’ is gregarious by alpine watercourses.\u00a0 In ‘The New of the British Isles’ Stace keys Chamerion from Epilobium on the basis of all the leaves being alternate, flowers held horizontally, slightly zygomorphic, whereas in Epilobium at least\u00a0the lowest\u00a0 leaves are opposite, flowers +\/- erect when open, actinomorphic. There are other differences.<\/div>\nStace\u00a0also observes for the genus
Epilobium<\/u> (in the UK), “Plants vary greatly in stature, leaf-size and degree of branching and<\/i><\/div>\nof pubescence but the type of hairs and certain aspects of leaf-shape are relatively constant.\u00a0 Seed coat ornamentation <\/i>is highly diagnostic, as is the presence of a terminal appendage, but a high magnification (x><\/u> 20) is required”.<\/i>
\n<\/i><\/div>\nUnless seeds are present (most Epilobiums are photographed\u00a0when in flower)\u00a0this characteristic\u00a0cannot be used to distinguish between closely related species and even if one examined the plants with a good hands lens, the magnification\u00a0may not be sufficient to check the detail. This means in some cases pressed specimens which can be examined under a higher magnification binocular microscope may well be required to be certain, identification-wise.<\/div>\n
Stace also observes (for UK Epilobiums) that hybrids occur commonly where 2 or more species occur together, especially in quantity for several years in disturbed ground…..<\/div>\n
So one can see\u00a0this is rather complicated!\u00a0 <\/span><\/b>The images shared do not show much detail (the flowers are only in bud, not open). Sometimes insufficient detail is visible from even the best, perfectly in focus\u00a0close-ups – which is why some plant taxonomists specialising in particular genera or families require quality pressed specimen to provide a reliable identifications.<\/div>\nAnyhow, what are the possibilities as to the species of Epilobium in Ladakh?\u00a0 Stewart (‘An Annotated Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Pakistan &\u00a0 Kashmir’ 1972) lists 6 Epilobiums from Ladakh, whereas the most up-to-date checklist for Ladakh by Klimes & Dickore lists 12…. <\/b>‘Flowers of the Himalaya’ describe 7 (now 5) of c. 23 spp. but probably more are recognised from the Himalaya nowadays.<\/b><\/span><\/span>
\n<\/span><\/div>\nKlimes (a Czech Republic botanist who undertook excellent field work in Ladakh but sadly went missing and has not been found) lists 5 species in what he described as ‘lower’ Ladakh (meaning the places he explored that were not at high altitude).\u00a0
Of these, <\/span><\/b>I understand E.royleanum<\/u> to be the most widespread<\/span><\/b> with specimens found in eroded stream banks, emerged bottoms, springs & irrigation channels.\u00a0 Stewart recorded it as very common, chiefly in the temperate zone of N.Pakistan and Kashmir with a 19th Century record in Nubra.<\/div>\nThe images posted do look close to the 2 small photos of\u00a0
E.royleanum<\/i><\/u> in ‘Himalayan Plants Illustrated’ (Yoshida, 2005) but this book also has photos of E.tibetanum<\/i><\/u> – not that I could distinguish between the two on the basis of the photos.<\/div>\nI do have a copy of the revision of ONAGRACEAE, the family to which Epilobium belongs, for ‘Flora of Pakistan’ (which I cannot locate at<\/div>\n
present but will check latter).\u00a0 But not sure if it will help much or is fully up-to-date.\u00a0 There is the e-flora for Pakistan but this does not contain all the detail within the printed versions.\u00a0 RELYING UPON KEYS ONLY TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN SPECIES DOES NOT ALWAYS BRING A RELIABLE IDENTIFICATION.<\/div>\n
This is all I can do for the present, perhaps there is someone with specialist knowledge of Epilobium who can say with confidence which species the images are of? <\/b>I cannot at this point – sometimes it is just not possible to tell similar species apart on the basis of <\/b><\/span>photos which do not show sufficient detail – or the genus needs further study.<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n