Saxifraga meeboldii Engler & Irmscher, Bot. Jahrb. Syst.

Horák, David, Hajman, Martin, Hroneš, Michal & Pavelka, Mojmír, 2021, A new natural hybrid in Saxifraga sect. Porphyrion Tausch (Saxifragaceae), Phytotaxa 498 (1), pp. 25-34 : 28-29

Saxifraga meeboldii Engler & Irmscher, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 48: 609. 1913. Figs. 2B , 3A–B .

Type: — NW Himalaya, [Ladakh], bei Kangi Lá, an Felsen, 4200 m a. s. l., Jul 1905, Meebold 326 (lectotype WU!)

Additional specimen seen:—[ India, Ladakh, Kárgil]: Suru, Waka Nala valley , lower part, WGS 84: 34°4.14ʹN, 77°22.24ʹE, 4040 m a. s. l., 4 Sep 2004, L . Klimeš 4421 ( PRA); Suru , Phulangma river valley, middle part, WGS 84: 34°12.62ʹN, 76°16.18ʹE, 3880–3940 m a. s. l., 7 Sep 2004, L . Klimeš 4503 ( PRA); Suru , Wakha valley SE of Chushit village, a small pass W of Namtse village, WGS 84: 34°21.1ʹN, 76°25.8ʹE, 3500 m a. s. l., 15 Aug 2003, L . Klimeš 2923 ( PRA); Zanskar , Zalung Karpo La to Sorra, along Khurna Chu, WGS 84: 33°39ʹN, 77°29ʹE, 4740 m a. s. l., 22 Aug 1998, L . Klimeš 119 ( PRA); Zanskar : S of Padum, Anuma La (Huluma La) to Snertse, WGS 84: 33°49.2ʹN, 76°49.3ʹE, 4200 m a. s. l., 26 Aug 2003, L . Klimeš 3248 ( PRA); Zanskar : Sarchu , Sumdo to Rachogba, WGS 84: 33°1.4ʹN, 77°36.9ʹE, 4400–4500 m a. s. l., 7 Aug 2000, L . Klimeš 1111 ( PRA); Zanskar : Tsarap , Tantak gompa to Soulantakhtakh at the foot of Thongde La along Shingri Chu, NWW of the road junction to Shade, WGS 84: 33°26.19ʹN, 77°08.53ʹE, 4210–4250 m a. s. l., 24 Aug 2004, L . Klimeš 4202 ( PRA). [ India, Ladakh , Leh]: Indus Vy, Domkhar-Dha, Lumba to Timti La, W ascent to pass, WGS 84: 34°17.0ʹN, 76°33.4ʹE, 4100–4190 m a. s. l., 17 Aug 2003, L . Klimeš 3041 ( PRA); Indus Vy , Domkhar-Dha, Lumba, gorge to S of village, WGS 84: 34°18.5ʹN, 76°32.5ʹE, 3630 m a. s. l., 17 Aug 2003, L . Klimeš 2999 ( PRA) .

Distribution and habitat: —NW India, N Pakistan, rock crevices in alpine and subalpine zone (Engler & Imrscher 1919, Dvorský et al. 2018).

Notes: —In protologue, authors cited three herbarium specimens. One collected by V. Schlaginweit (Schlaginweit 4763) in Tibet “an der heissen Quellen bei Mulbe” and two collections from NW Himalaya: “Kashmir, Nittar-Tal im Distrikt Gilgit an Felsen bei 3000–3500 m (Duthie 12428) “ and “Kangi Lá an Felsen bei 4200 m (Meebold 326)” collected by J. F. Duthie and A. Meebold, respectively ( Engler & Irmscher 1913). Typification was provided by S. Ghazanfar in Flora of Pakistan ( Ghazanfar 1977) where Meebold 326 was selected as lectotype (as Kanji La, Ladakh, 14000´, Meebold 326 (WU)). We agree with this typification for following reasons: 1. Specimens cited by Engler & Irmscher (1913) were designated to be placed in Berlin (B; Engler & Irmscher 1919) but they are not accessible. 2. The specimen placed in Wien (WU) is a duplicate/part of collection of A. Meebold n. 326 “bei Kangi lá an Felsen bei 4200 m ”. 3. This specimen (although quite poor) was personally seen by us and there is no doubt, that this specimen is S. meeboldii in common sense known from Ladakh and without any hybrid influence.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Overall habit of studied Saxifraga species. A. Sympatric growth of S. meeboldii (front), S. pulvinaria (far right) and their hybrid S. ×klimesii (far left) in Zanskar, Ladakh, NW India. B. S. meeboldii. C. S. ×klimesii. D. S. pulvinaria. Photographs by R. Roth (A) and D. Horák (B–D).

FIGURE 3. Morphology of studied Saxifraga taxa. A–B. S. meeboldii C–E. S. pulvinaria. F–J. S. ×klimesii. A, C, F, H. Overall habit. B. Rosette leaves with pores. D, G. Detail of hypanthium. E, J. Rosette leaves with pores and cilia. I. Petals. Photographs by D. Horák (A), M. Hroneš (B, F, J) and M. Hajman (C–E, G–I).