Tibetiodes himalaica (Clarke) Nesom (2020: 5)

Bhattacharjee, Avishek, Bhattacharjee, Bandana, Chakraborty, Kasturi, Banu, Farheen, Sherpa, Norbu & Layola, Ranjith, 2024, Resolving the ongoing confusion between Erigeron multiradiatus and Tibetiodes himalaica (Asteraceae), Phytotaxa 670 (2), pp. 133-147 : 145-146

2. Tibetiodes himalaica (Clarke) Nesom (2020: 5) .

Basionym:— Aster himalaicus Clarke (1876: 43) .

Type:— INDIA. Sikkim: Jongri [Dzongri], 13000 [ft], 15 Oct 1875, C. B. Clarke 26195 B [lectotype K ( K000102216 ) image!, selected by Nesom (2020c: 5)]. Other syntypes:— INDIA. Jongri [Dzongri], 13000 [ft], 15 Oct 1875, C. B. Clarke 26195D [ K ( K000102214 ), image!] ; Jongri [Dzongri], 13000 [ft], 15 Oct 1875, C. B. Clarke 25771 [ K ( K000102215 ), image!] ; Jongri [Dzongri], 13000 ft, 15 Oct 1875, C. B. Clarke 26197 [ K ( K000102217 ), image!] ; Jongri [Dzongri], 13000 [ft], 15 Oct 1875, C. B. Clarke 26183 [ CAL! ( CAL0000210020 )] ; Yakla , 16000 [ft], 18 Oct 1869, C. B. Clarke 16194 B, 10143 [ CAL! ( CAL0000210023 , CAL0000210027 )] ; Yakla , 16000 [ft], 18 Oct 1869, C. B. Clarke?896 B [ CAL! ( CAL0000210011 )] .

Aster mekongensis Onno (1932: 54) . Type:— CHINA: Yunnan, Lichiang Range, 27° 24’ N, stony alpine pasture, 14,000 ft, Sep 1913, G. Forrest 11137 [lectotype E, image, n.v., selected by Nesom (2020c: 5); isolectotype PE (00568986), image!].

Phenology: —May – November.

Habitat: —Alpine meadows, on open or scrub clad hill slopes among turf or gravel, at elevations of 3500–4500 m.

Distribution: — India (Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, West Bengal), Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Nepal.

Additional specimens examined: — BHUTAN. Upper Mo Chu District, above Laya , 4170 m, 20.09.198 4, I. W. J. Sinclair & D. G. Long 5194 ( E) ; Upper Mo Chu District, Jari La , 4570 m, 26.09.198 4, I. W. J. Sinclair & D. G. Long 5349 ( E) ; Upper Mo Chu District, Laya , 4170 m, 20.09.198 4, I. W. J. Sinclair & D. G. Long 5194 ( E) ; Phajudin ( Phajoding ), Timpu (Thimphu), 3962 m, 04.11.191 4, R. E. Cooper 3536 ( E) ; Phage La, Mangde Chu, 4267 m, 01.09.194 9, F. Ludlow , G. Sherriff & J. H. Hicks 17214 ( E) ; Phage La, Mangde Chu, 4267 m, 27.08.194 9, F. Ludlow , G. Sherriff & J. H. Hicks 17205 ( E) ; Thimphu, Above Paro pass, 3960 m, 03.10.198 7, coll? Bigger 3023 ( E) ; Phage La, Mangde Chu, 4267 m, 27.08.194 9, F. Ludlow , G. Sherriff & J. H. Hicks 17205 ( BM, CAL) ; Phage La, Mangde Chu, 4267 m, 01.09.194 9, F. Ludlow , G. Sherriff & J. H. Hicks 17214 ( CAL) ; Rinoben Chu, Takse La, 4572 m, 18.08.194 9, F. Ludlow , G. Sherriff & J. H. Hicks 17159 ( CAL) . CHINA. Chien-chuan, Mekong , N. W. Yunnan, 3657 – 3962 m, August 1922, G. Forrest 21984 ( BM) . INDIA. Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang District, Bum La, 4000 m, 23.10.197 8, K. C. Sahni & H. B. Naithani Ser. II, No. 76/5, 76/4 ( DD). Sikkim, Pakyong District , Nathang , 3962 m, 1881, G. King s.n. ( CAL) ; Tosha , 4114 m, 03.08.191 0, W. W. Smith 4064 ( CAL) ; Nathu La , 4267 m, 24.08.191 3, R. E. Cooper 608 ( E) ; Kupup , 4145 m, 10.10.192 8, coll? 302 ( CAL) ; Thegu to Sherathang, 23.08.200 0, P. Singh & S. K. Rai 23770 ( BSHC) ; Yakla, 3753 m, 10.09.202 2, A. Bhattacharjee & B. Bhattacharjee 56855 ( CAL) ; Kupup, 3940 m, 10.09.202 2, A. Bhattacharjee & B. Bhattacharjee 56854 ( CAL) ; Kupup, 3940 m, 10.09.202 2, A. Bhattacharjee & B. Bhattacharjee 56856 ( CAL) ; Zuluk, 2865 m, 11.09.202 2, A. Bhattacharjee & B. Bhattacharjee 56861 ( CAL) ; Gangtok district, Chhangu , 21.09.198 0, P. K. Hajra 712 ( BSHC) ; Chhangu, 3740 m, 11.09.202 2, A. Bhattacharjee & B. Bhattacharjee 56864 ( CAL) ; Mangan District, Yomphung, October 1908, Ribu 168 ( CAL) ; Tosa , 4114 m, 03.08.191 0, W. W. Smith 4064 ( CAL) ; Phedang , 3657 m, September 1983, S. Macpherson 47 ( E) ; Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary , 13.09.201 4, C. S. Prohit 38270 ( BSHC) ; Gyalshing District, Dzongri , 3962+ m, 21.10.57, coll? s.n. ( CAL) ; Dzongri , 4114–4572 m, 8.10.186 2, T. Anderson 729 ( CAL) ; Dzongri to Oloktang , 3962–4572 m, 9.10.186 2, T. Anderson 728 ( CAL) ; Dzongri , 3962 m, 15.10.187 5, C. B. Clarke 26183 ( CAL) ; Pangling , 3657 m, October 1898, coll? 11995 ( CAL) ; Dzongri , 4267 m, 20.08.196 0, K. C. Sahni 629 ( DD) ; Below Dzongri, 3810 m, 13.09.198 3, Agses 402 ( E) ; Thangsing surroundings, 3700 m, 16.10.199 5, G. P. Sinha 15589 ( BSHC) . NEPAL. Sankhuwasabha District, Shipton La, 4120 m, 27.09.199 1, D. G. Long , R. J. D. Mcbeath, D. R. Mckean, D. A. H. Rae, N. P. Bhattarai Emak 352 ( E) ; Shebal Joong, 4876 m, 05.09.192 7, Dhwoj 113 ( E) ; Maney Dara ( Mankhim Dara ), 3962–4267 m, 1920, Major Lall Dhwoj 546 ( E) ; Baraha Pokhri ( Barahapokhari ), 4267 m, 19.09.195 0, D. G. Lowndes 1523 ( E) ; Beding , 4050 m, 18.09.195 4, A. Zimmermann 1381 ( E) ; Rasuwa District, Bagmati Zone, Laurebina village to Gosainkund , 4220 m, 07.10.200 1, D. G. Long, M. F. Watson, D. G. Knott, S. Crutchley & M. N. Subedi ENEP 235 ( E) ; Yalung, 3960 m, 12.09.197 8, D. Binns, R. Mason & G. Wright 53 ( E) ; Mailung Khola , 3505 m, 18.09.196 5, J.D. A. Stainton 5125 ( BM) ; Lieu, Gosainkund , 3500 m, 17.11.197 0, J. F. Dobremez DER NEP N ⁰ 750 ( BM) ; Baraha Pokhri , 4267 m, 19.09.195 0, D. G. Lowndes 1523 ( BM) ; Shebal joong, 4876 m, 05.09.192 7, Sir Clive Wigram 113 ( CAL) . MYANMAR. Seinghku Valley, 3657–3962 m, 13.10.192 6, Capt. F. Kingdon Ward 7583 ( E, BM) .

Notes: — Clarke (1876: 43), in the protologue of A. himalaicus , described the pappus as “1-serialis”, whereas Chen et al. (2011) described it as 4-seriate. Grierson (1964) mentioned “pappus simple or with an outer series of a few narrow or rarely paleaceous setae”. In our collected specimens we have observed a uniseriate pappus. Though the elevation mentioned in the protologue is ‘13000–15000 ped’, we found three syntypes collected from Yakla by Clarke where the elevation is written as ‘16000’ ft. However, these are definitely part of the original material which is evident from C.B. Clarke’s hand-written label-data and annotations. Nesom (2020b) designated a K-specimen (C.B. Clarke 26195, K000102216) as the lectotype of A. himalaicus . However, in our opinion, the CAL-specimen (CAL0000210027) with Clarke’s annotation (‘ nov. sp. ’) and illustration of floral parts would have been a better choice for lectotypification.

The specimens R.N. Banerjee 4576 (CAL0000210031) collected from Kedarnath (Uttarakhand), J.L. Lister s.n. (CAL0000210032) from Darjeeling (West Bengal), C.B. Clarke 30657A (CAL0000210009) and C.B. Clarke 31379E (CAL0000210010) from Jammu and Kashmir were misidentified as A. himalaicus .