Delphinium lahulensis Agnihotri, Husain & Husain, 2014

Agnihotri, Priyanka, Husain, Danish & Husain, Tariq, 2014, A new species of the Genus Delphinium (Ranunculaceae) from Lahul Valley of Himachal Pradesh, India, Phytotaxa 186 (5), pp. 287-291 : 287-290

Delphinium lahulensis Agnihotri, Husain & Husain , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 & 2 )

D. lahulensis sp. nov. is closely related with D. viscosum Hook. f. & Thoms. and D. cashmerianum Royle , but differs in having bracteoles with hooked apex, shape of spur that resembles parrot’s beak, staminode with dense hoard of hairs at ventral apex, hairs in single line on the inner surface of ovary and cleft stigma.

Type:— Himachal Pradesh, Lahul valley, Miyar Nullah , 2743 m, 03.08.1884, J . D. A. Stainton 8840 ( BM) .

Erect herbs. Stem 21–34 cm tall, simple, very sparsely hairy. Leaves both radical and cauline; radical leaves 4–6, 2.5–4.5 × 1.2–2.4 cm; primary lobes 3, separate for nearly 60 % of blade radius; central lobe cuneate or broadly ovate; lateral lobes notched once or twice forming 2–3 sub-lobes; lobes and sub-lobes lobulate and dentate, apex mucronate; ultimate lobules ovate-lanceolate, base deeply cordate, petiolate; petiole 8.5–16 cm long, sparsely hairy; cauline leaves similar to radical but having shorter petiole. Inflorescence compound corymb, 2–4 flowered, bracteate; bracts foliaceous, densely hairy, 3-lobed, distal ones lanceolate. Flowers blue, 1.1–1.8 × 0.6 × 1.5 cm, pedicellate, bracteolate; pedicel 1.5–4 cm long, hairy; hairs retrorsely curved; bracteoles 2, 5 mm long, alternate, placed at 10–13 mm away from base of flower, hairy, apex hooked. Sepals 20 × 9 mm, overall hairy; apex densely hairy; spur 10 mm long, 4 mm wide at base, incurved, parrot’s beak shaped, hairy; apex blunt; petals 20 mm long, apex bidentate, bearded; staminode 9 mm long, glabrous on ventral surface except dense hoard of hairs at l apex, dorsal surface hairy, cleft 1/3 at apex. Stamens 7–8 mm long; filaments proximally membranous, basifixed; anthers 1 × 0.5 mm, dark coloured, densely woolly. Carpels 3, 5 mm long; hairs in single line on the inner surface of ovary, style 2 mm long, glabrous, stigma cleft.

Distribution & Ecology:— On damp rocks in Miyar Nullah, Miyar valley, Lahul, Himachal Pradesh, India, at altitudes of 3000 to 3500 m.

Additional specimen examined:— Himachal Pradesh: Lahul, Phalpu, Miyar valley , at bottom of Miyar Glacier , 3466 m, 19 August 2014, T . Husain & Party 257633 ( LWG) .

The main features distinguishing Delphinium lahulensis sp. nov. from D. viscosum Hook. f. & Thoms., and D. cashmerianum Royle , are tabulated below ( Table 1; Fig. 3 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Type specimen, Delphinium lahulensis Agnihotri, Husain & Husain sp. nov., J. D. A. Stainton 8840 (BM)

FIGURE 2. Delphinium lahulensis sp. nov.: A. Habit, B. Flower, C. Bract, D. Bracteole, E1. Sepal (ventral surface view), E2. Sepal (dorsal surface view), F. Spur, G. Petal, H1. Staminode (ventral surface view), H2. Staminode (dorsal surface view), I. Carpels (Stainton 8840, BM).

FIGURE 3: A–E. D. viscosum (A. carpel, B. stamen, C. bract, D. bracteole, E. spur) A–B. Kingdon-Ward 14329, BM; C–E. T. Husain & Party 257635, LWG; F–J. D. cashmerianum (F. carpel, G. stamen, H. bract, I. bracteole, J. spur) Polunin 56/597, BM; K–O. D. lahulensis (K. carpel, L. stamen, M. bract, N. bracteole, O. spur.) Stainton 8840, BM.