Geranium dachigamensis Imtiyaz A. Hurrah & Vijay Wagh, 2023

Hurrah, Imtiyaz Ahmad, Shukla, Aparna R. & Wagh, Vijay V., 2023, A new species of Geranium L. (Geraniaceae) from Kashmir Himalaya, India, Phytotaxa 603 (2), pp. 163-172 : 164-169

Geranium dachigamensis Imtiyaz A. Hurrah & Vijay Wagh sp. nov. Figs. 1–4

Type: India, Jammu & Kashmir, Srinagar, Dachigam National Park , N 34°08 '575'' E 74°55 '113", 1707 m, 28 May 2018, Imtiyaz A . Hurrah 311088, (holotype LWG!, isotype CAL!)

Diagnosis: The new species differs from G. pratense by palmatipartite leaves with shallow 2 nd sinuses (vs palmatisect leaves with deep 2 nd sinuses), lobes slightly longer than broad (vs lobes 2–3 times longer than broad), broad base of leaf middle segment (vs narrow base), pinkish petals (vs bluish, purplish or white petals) and hairy abaxial surface of staminal filaments (vs glabrous).

Perennial, herbaceous. Rootstock 1.5–2 × 0.5–1 mm, stout, horizontal, covered with long, marcescent, connate stipules. Stem erect to ascending, 60–80 cm long with patent, 0.5–1.2 mm long, pilose eglandular hairs & short ca. 0.4 mm long, retrorse, curved, uncinate/obtuse eglandular hairs & 0.6–1.3 mm long, spreading glandular hairs. Stipules 6–13× 1–2.2 mm, subulate, ciliate along margins, puberulent hairs on abaxial surface, pubescent to glabrous on adaxial surface. Leaves opposite; petiole 20–55 cm long of radical leaves & 2–13 cm long of cauline leaves, reduced in upper leaves, having 0.2–0.9 mm long pilose eglandular hairs, sometimes with sparse glandular hairs ca. 1.1 mm long; lamina 5–14× 8–18 cm, polygonal to subglobular, deeply palmatipartite, ratio of main sinus length/ middle segment length (0.78–0.82), 5–7 (–8) segments, with middle segment obtriangular to rhombic, 7–11 mm wide at base, 14–32 lobes not confined to distal half only, lobes acute to obtuse, longer than broad with mucronate apex, ratio of 2 nd sinus length/ middle segment length 0.20–0.27, with sericous eglandular hairs 0.3–1.2 mm long (abaxial surface having hairs mostly along the veinlets). Inflorescence monochasial cyme, cymose solitary with two flowers, not overtopping the subtending leaves; peduncle 2.5–13 cm long, with 0.1–0.4 mm long, retrorse, curved, dense, short, eglandular hairs, ca. 0.7 mm long, straight eglandular hairs and 0.5–1.2 mm long, spreading glandular hairs; bracteoles 3.5–8× 0.4–0.9 mm long, linear–lanceolate, with 0.15–0.4 mm long cilia along margins and 0.1–0.25 mm long, puberulent, eglandular hairs on both surfaces (sometimes glabrous adaxially), occasionally having glandular hairs on abaxial surface; pedicel 0.8–4 cm long, with 0.1–0.4 mm long, retrorse, curved, villous eglandular hairs, patent 0.5–1.2 mm long, pilose, eglandular hairs & 0.6–1.3 mm long, glandular hairs. Sepals 8–12× 3–4 mm, lanceolate–ovate, having 1–2.5 mm long hairy mucro without bristles at apex, ciliate along margins, adaxially glabrous, abaxailly 0.1–0.7 mm long, puberulent to patent eglandular hairs and 0.6–1.3 mm long, patent, dense glandular hairs. Petals 14.5–16.6× 10.5–11.1 mm, pinkish, obovate, entire, apex round to flat, ratio of petal width/petal length 0.65–0.72, both surfaces glabrous, ciliate at basal margins and a tuft of hairs at base towards edges on adaxial surface. Stamens 10 in 2 whorls; filaments 9–11.5× 0.9–1.2 mm lanceolate to deltoid, dilated at base upto 1/3 rd –1/ 5 th of total length, abruptly tapering into narrow apex, distal tail glabrous, dilated base ciliate along margins, glabrous adaxially, 0.2–0.6 mm long eglandular hairs abaxially; anthers 2.1–2.5 mm. Nectaries 5 with tuft of hairs along margins in distal half, glabrous dorsally. Gynocieum ca. 11 mm long. Fruit 34–41 mm long; mericarp 4.5–5.5 mm, with 1 or 2 transverse veins at apex, 0.1–1.0 mm long, bristle like eglandular hairs and few patent glandular hairs at dorsal apical half; rostrum 25–32 mm long, with puberulent eglandular hairs and ca. 1.5 mm long patent glandular hairs, inner surface of awn glabrous; narrow apex 8–10 mm long partly hairy and partly glabrous; stigmatic remains 3.2–3.6 mm glabrous. Seed 3.4–3.8 mm long.

Phenology: Flowering May to June; fruiting June to July.

Etymology: Geranium dachigamensis is named after the Dachigam National Park, Jammu & Kashmir, the type locality.

Habitat and distribution: Geranium dachigamensis prefer to grow in the shady places under the canopy of tall trees. It mostly grows along the stream banks and roadsides. It has been observed under the canopy of Salix alba Thunb. (1784: 25) , Prunus avium (L.) L. (1755: 165), Pyrus pashia Buch. -Ham. ex D. Don (1825: 236), Prunus cerasifera Ehrh. (1784: 192) , Prunus persica (L.) Batsch. (1801: 30), Prunus americana Marshall (1785: 111) , Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. (1784: 403) , Ulmus americana L. (1753: 226) and Populus nigra L. (1753: 1034). The associated herbaceous flora includes Geum roylei Wall. (1829: 713) , Galium aparine L. (1753: 108), Stellaria media (L.) Vill. (1789: 615), Trifolium pratense L. (1753: 768), Lamium album L. (1753: 579), Geranium nepalense Sweet (1820: 12) along with some grass species. The behaviour of this species of Geranium and the environments in which it grows are similar to other taxa of the same genus, especially in the countries of belt temperate (e.g. Cano et al., 2019, Perrino et al. 2013, Perrino et al., 2011, Arni & Matevski 2005).

Taxonomic notes: Geranium dachigamensis is more closely related to G. pratense and G. collinum Stephan ex Willd. (1800: 705) . The new species is clearly distinguished from G. collinum by the following characters: 7–14 mm wide middle segment base (vs 2–7.4 mm wide base), 14–32 lobes in middle segment (vs 4–13 lobes), fruits nodding, 34–41 mm long with 8–10 mm long narrowed apex (vs erect fruits 21–31 mm long with 2.8–4.5 mm long narrowed apex), petals pink (vs petals purplish), hair 0.1–1.7 mm long (vs 0.1–0.6 mm long) and seeds 3.4–3.7 mm (vs 2.6–2.9 mm).

The new species shares a few similarities with G. pratense viz . lanceolate–subulate type of stipules, identical number of leaf lobes, opposite cauline leaves and long narrow apex of fruits. However, it differs from the latter in following characters: leaves palmate–partite with ratio of main sinus length/middle segment length 0.78–0.82 (vs palmate–sect with ratio of main sinus length/middle segment length 0.85–0.93), middle segment width at base 7–14 mm (vs 3–5 mm), lobes closely spaced, slightly longer than broad with shallow sinuses (vs widely spaced lobes, much longer than broad with deep sinuses), basal leaf petioles ca. 55 cm long (vs ca. 30 cm), petals pinkish (vs bluish, purplish or white), filament hairy on abaxial surface (vs glabrous), stigmatic remains 3.2–3.6 mm long (vs 2–3 mm). Electron micrograph studies also reveal some distinctions between the two species. The seed-coat surface of G. pratense is reticulate-foveate and that of G. dachigamensis is reticulate-rugulate. Significant variations are also observed in shape and anticlinal walls of the epidermal cells. The anticlinal walls are shallow and undulate in G. pratense while as in G. dachigamensis it is deep and undulate ( Fig 4 ).

The described new species was known earlier also but erroneously treated as G. pratense Dachigam form. This is because G. pratense exhibits greater phenotypic plasticity in morphological characters across the habitats, which has consequently led to the genesis of enormous synonyms of the taxon ( Geranium caeruleum Gilib. (1782: 174) , Geranium coelestinum Schur (1866: 136) , G. batrachioides Bubani (1901: 309) , G. neapolitanum Nyman (1884: 949) , G. pinetophilum R. Knuth (1939: 352) , G. pratense var. pallidum Regel (1862: 31) , G. rovirae Sennen (1936: 12) , G. pratense f. leucanthemum B. Boivin (1972: 136) , G. pratense var. litwinowii Woronow (1908: 51) , G. pratense subsp. stewartianum Y.J. Nasir (1983: 19) , G. pratense subsp. transbaicalicum (Serg.) Gubanov (1983: 141) , G. pratense var. affine (Ledeb.) C.C. Huang & L.R. Xu (1998: 59) , G. alpinum Kit. ex Kanitz (1863: 531) G. pratense f. albiflorum Q. Zhu & J. Wang (2009: 149) . Considering this, the type specimens of all the synonyms and other herbarium specimens (listed below) of G. pratense deposited in different herbaria of the world were critically examined. Raina (1985), during the monographic studies on Geraniaceae of Kashmir, had collected some specimens from Dachigam National Park. After observing some morphological variations, he distinguished it as a form of G. pratense and named it as G. pratense Dachigam form. Based on these variations and acknowledging the Raina’s view we established a new species Geranium dachigamensis instead of retaining it as a form of G. pratense .

G. dachigamensis does not grow sympatrically with G. pratense . Since no material of the later has been found in low altitude areas of Dachigam National Park. G. pratense appears to be confined to meadows in alpine and subalpine regions while G. dachigamensis grows under the canopy of low altitude trees like Salix alba Thunb. (1784: 25) , Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. (1784: 403) , and Populus nigra L. (1753: 1034) etc. in the temperate regions. The two species are distinct in phenology, it ranges from May to September in case of G. pratense while May to July for G. dachigamensis .

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): INDIA, Jammu & Kashmir, Srinagar , Dachigam National Park , N 34°09'093'' E 74°55'055", 1695 m, 11 June 2019, Imtiyaz A. Hurrah 320281 ( LWG!); N 34°08'578'' E 74°55'103", 1704 m, 11 June 2019, Imtiyaz A. Hurrah 320283 ( LWG!); N 34°09'034'' E 74°54'587", 1704 m, 11.06.2019, Imtiyaz A. Hurrah (320284) ( LWG!).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habit illustration of Geranium dachigamensis (Drawn by Mairaj Ahmad).

FIGURE 2. A. Staminal filaments; B. Stipule; C. Fruit; D, Petal; E, Sepal; F. Anthers and Pistil; G. Mericarp.; H. Bracteoles; I. Seed. Illustrations of Geranium dachigamensis (Drawn by Mairaj Ahmad).

FIGURE 3. Geranium dachigamensis: A. Habit; B. Flowering twig; C. Fruits; D. Bracteoles; E. Sepals; F. Petal; G. Mericarp Seed; H. Flower Nectaries; I. Stipules; J. Leaf; K. Flower ventral view; L. Staminal filament; M. Flower dorsal view; N. Seed.

FIGURE 4. A. Seed surface; C. Staminal filament Scanning Electron Micrograph of Geranium pratense; B Seed surface D. Staminal filament Scanning Electron Micrograph of Geranium dachigamensis.