Lasiocaryum trichocarpum

Chacón, Juliana, Siwakoti, Mohan, Hilger, Hartmut H. & Weigend, Maximilian, 2017, Dwarves on the roof of the world: A taxonomic revision of the Himalayan Lasiocaryeae Weigend (Boraginaceae), Phytotaxa 297 (1), pp. 1-14 : 12-13

3. Lasiocaryum trichocarpum (Hand.–Mazz.) I. M. Johnst. (1925: 46)

Basionym: Microcaryum trichocarpum Handel – Mazzetti (1925: 164). Holotype:— CHINA: Prov. Yunnan bor. occid.: In montis Waha prope pagum Yungning regione alpina, in lapidosis. 4300–4400 m, 20 July 1915, H. R. E. von Handel-Mazzetti 4100 (WU 0034250!, isotype: E00284710!).

= Lasiocaryum ludlowii R. R. Mill & D. G. Long in Mill (1996: 121). Holotype:— NEPAL: Gafoola , upper Pho Chu, 4720 m, 6 July 1949, F. Ludlow, G. Sherriff & J. H. Hicks 16747 (E!, isotype: GH!).

Description:—Shortlived annual herbs, with ephemeral leaf rosette, ca. 2–12.5 cm tall overall; stems simple or branched from base, primary shoot and later shoots unequal in length, primary shoot usually dominant, 2–12.5 cm long, simple or with numerous lateral shoots 1–7 cm long. Leaves with lamina ovate, rarely obovate, 5–12 × 3–5 mm, base narrowed, subsessile; adaxially and abaxially pubescent, trichomes soft, ca. 1 mm long. Flowers arising in terminal monochasia, initially densely crowed, pedicels only 1–2 mm apart and <1mm long, later elongating with pedicels up to 12 mm apart and pedicels up to 6 mm long; calyx divided to base, lobes narrowly obovate, ca. 1–2 × 0.2–0.5 mm, densely pubescent; corolla hypocrateriform, limb 1.5–5 mm wide, azure, tube ca. 1–2.5 mm long, lobes ovate, glabrous, tube with yellow faucal scales, indistinctly two-lobed; anthers broadly ovoidal, included, <1 mm long; style 1–1.5 mm, stigma subglobose. Nutlets erect, ovoidal, ca. 1 × 0.4–0.5 mm, pubescent, with parallel rows of trichomes, adaxially keeled, attached with suprabasal, ovate cicatrix to subulate gynobase.

Notes: —This species can be differentiated from L. densiflorum by the basal flowers that are distinctly pedicellate, the inflorescence that elongates in late anthesis, and the presence of a basal leaf rosette at each flower. In addition, Lasiocaryum trichocarpum can be separated from L. munroi by the usually larger flowers and the stiffly erect or ascending branches with relatively long, basal internodes. Lasiocaryum trichocarpum is variable in size, degree of branching, leaf shape and size; however, no two characters appear to be correlated to each other. In China, small, stiffly erect forms with tiny flowers appear to co-occur with larger, low-growing forms with very large flowers, but these extreme forms are connected via a continuous range of intermediates.

Distribution and habitat: —This species is known from Bhutan, China and Nepal, from open, often disturbed sites, on scree slopes and open areas, where it grows in alpine scrub, between 4000–4700 m.

Specimens examined:— BHUTAN. Upper Mo Chu District: Hillside S of Lingshi Dzong, N 27° 55´, E 089° 27´, 4005 m, 29 September 1984, I. W. J. Sinclair & D. G. Long 5405 (E!) ;— NEPAL. Central: Rasuwa, Kyangjin Ghyang , 3960 m, August 1949, O. Polunin 1648 ( BM!) ; Manang: Khangsar , 4570 m, D. G. Lowndes 1234 ( BM!) . Mustang: Samargaon , N of Tukucha, 4570 m, 16 August 1954, Stainton et al. 7289 (A!, BM!, E!, GH!— paratype of Lasiocaryum ludlowii R. R. Mill ) ; E of Chalike Pahar , 4110 m, 5 August 1954, Stainton et al. 3754 ( BM!) ;— CHINA. Sichuan Province: Xiangcheng Xian, pass between Xiangcheng and Reda over Maan Shan , N 29° 00´7´´, E 099° 44´34´´, 4200–4700 m, 20 July 1998, D. E. Boufford et al. 28995 ( GH!) ; Yunnan: Yunnan Province, Zhonogian Xian, Sichuan-Yunnan border area, south side of Zhongdian Daxue Shan , N 28° 34´24´´, E 99° 48´42´´, 4280–4600 m, 25 July 1998, D. E. Boufford et al. 29177 (E!, GH!) ; Goo-du shan, N 28° 12´, E 100° 12´, 10000–11000 ft., July 1921, G. Forrest 20526 ( GH!) ; NE of Likiang, Ta-koo (Ta-chi) on Yangtse , 26 July 1939, R. C. Ching 21283 ( GH!) ; Yunnan Province, Zhongdian Xian, just E of Shangxia, of Hutiaoxia of Jinsha Jiang on Haba Xue Shan, N 27° 50´26´´, E 100° 06´14´´, 4020 m, D. E. Boufford et al. 35297 ( GH!, BONN!) ; no detailed locality or date, 1938, T. T. Yü 9003 ( GH!) ; no detailed locality or date, 1938, T.T. Yü 12300 ( GH!) ; no detailed locality or date, 1938, T. T. Yü 12163 ( GH!) ; Chungtien Plateau , 05 July 1939, K. M. Feng 1500 ( GH!) ; Lichiang ( Lijiang ), 02 August 1914, 3000 m, C. Schneider 3649 ( GH!) ; Xizang Province: Markam Xian, between Markam and Zogang on Highway 318, N 29° 38´32´´, E 98° 08´10´´, 4280 m, 15 July 2000, D. E. Boufford et al. 29443 (A!) ; 2 miles S of Sangang , 13600 ft., 11 August 1936, F. Spencer Chapman 722 ( GH!) ; Sichuan Province: Xiangcheng Xian, Pass between Xiangcheng and Reda over Maan Shan , N 29° 00´07´´, E 99° 44´34´´, 4200–4270 m, 20 July 1998, D. E. Boufford et al. 28990 (A!) ; SW Szechuan, Muli or Mili kingdom, 10000–14000 ft., June 1922, J. F. Rock 5558 ( GH!) ; SW Szechuan, Muli or Mili kingdom, Mount Mitzuga , west of Muli Gomba , 3050–4875 m, June 1928, J. F. Rock 16246 ( GH!) ; Dzampe Sheren Mountain, west of Wuato Gomba, eastern Muli , 14000–15000 ft., May-June 1932, J. F. Rock 23776 ( GH!) ; Litang-Yalung river divide, N 28° 20´, E 101° 05´, 14000 ft., 11 July 1921, F. K. Ward 4460 ( GH!) ; Litang river divide, Camp “Glacier View”, 13000 ft., 22 June 1921, F. K. Ward 4238 ( GH!) .