e-Flora of Jammu & Kashmir (North Western Himalyas)
...........................an electronic atlas taxonomic and floristic research in J & K..............
e-Flora of Chenab Valley
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Androcorys josephi. Joseph's Herminium is a terrestrial orchid 11-27 cm tall. Tubers are ovoid or ellipsoid, 10-20 x 7-10 mm. Stem has 2 or 3 tubular sheaths at base, 2-leaved. Leaves are basal, almost opposite, linear-oblong to oblong-elliptic, 3.5-10 x 0.5-1.5 cm, tip pointed. Inflorescence is 9-24 cm long, peduncle cylindric. Rachis is 3.5-8.5 cm, densely several to many flowered; floral bracts ovate-lanceshaped to lanceshaped, about 3 mm, shorter than ovary, tip pointed. Flowers are fragrant, erect or horizontal, green to yellowish green; ovary straight, 7-8 mm including stalk. Dorsal sepal is nearly erect, broadly ovate, about 3 x 2 mm, 1-veined, apex obtuse; lateral sepals weakly spreading, ovate-lanceolate, slightly oblique, 3-4.5 x about ca. 1.5 mm, 1-veined, apex obtuse. Petals are ovate-lanceolate, oblique, 3-3.5 x about 1.2 mm, somewhat fleshy, 1-veined, apex sub-obtuse. Lip is pendulous, broadly ovate, 4-5 x 3-3.5 mm, somewhat fleshy, base shallowly concave, entire; disk with 2 short ridges below middle. Joseph's Herminium was thought to be an east Himalayan plant, but now it is known to be found from Kashmir to Sikkim. Jul.-Aug.
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Abies pindrow . West-Himalayan Silver Fir is a slender pyramidal tree which can grow up to 50 m tall, but generally smaller. Upper branches are horizontal and branchlets horizontal and flattened. Bark is longitudinally deeply grooved. It is distinguished by the branchlets which are hairless in the grooves, and by the leaves borne on the upper part of the branchlets, erect or directed forward, loosely overlapping. Tips of the leaves have two sharp tapering points. Leaves are 4-7 cm long, shining dark green above, with two faint silvery line beneath. Cones are dark purple, erect, cylindrical, 10-20 cm long, 4-7.5 cm in diameter. West-Himalayan Silver Fir is found in the Himalayas, from Afghanistan to W. Nepal. 2100-3600 m. Apr.-May.
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Acer cappadocicum . Medium-sized deciduous tree growing to 20-30 m tall with a broad, rounded crown. Oppositely arranged leaves are palmately lobed with 5-7 equal lobes, 6-15 cm across. The leaf stems bleed a milky latex when broken. The flowers are borne in corymbs of 15-30. Flowers are tiny, 3-4 mm across, yellow-green with five petals. Fruit is a double samara with two winged seeds, the seeds are disc-shaped, strongly flattened, 6-11 mm across and 2-3 mm thick. The samara is reddish pink when young. The wings are 2.5-3 cm long, widely spread, approaching a 180° angle. The bark is greenish-grey, smooth in young trees, becoming shallowly grooved in mature. Mar.-May.
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Anaphalis margaritacea. Perennial with erect leafy wooly-haired stem 30-60 cm, mostly unbranched below. Leaves lanceolate, with 1-3 conspicuous parallel veins, dark green above, grey or reddish-wooly beneath. Flower heads white c. 8 mm across, in dense domed terminal clusters to 15 cm across. Involucral bracts white-papery, braod and blunt, erect in flower, spreading in fruit. 1800-3000 m. Aug.-Nov.
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Anemone obtusiloba. Perennial with spreading tufted stems usually 5-15 cm. basal leaves many, softly hairy on both sides, rounded, deeply 3- lobed, lobes toothed or cut. Flowers white or blue or in western Himalaya commonly yellow, 2-5 cm across, subteneded by stalkless 3-lobed involucral leaves. Petals elliptic, silky-haired beneath. Achenes coarsely hairy, but not imbedded in woolly hairs nor compressed. 2100- 4300 m. May-Jul.
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Aquilega pubiflora. Stem erect, unbranched, 20-40 cm. leaves mostly basal twice divided into 3-lobed leaflets, finely hairy beneath. Flowers purple, 2-4 cm. Outer petals tapering to narrow point, much longer than the inner. Spur incurved shorter than blades of inner petals. 2400-3300 m. Jun.-Aug.
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Arisaema jacquemontii. Perennial of mountain forests and lower alpine slopes, distinguished by its spathe with a broad green blade and long upstanding green or deep purple tail-like apex. Spadix with short cylindrical dark purple appendage, projecting forwards from the cylindrical spathe tube. Leaves with 5-9 narrow-elliptic to ovate long-pointed leaflets. 2400-4000 m. Jun.-Aug.
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Arisaema propinquum. Readily distinguished by its dark purple or green oblong-ovate spathe conspicuously ribbed and stripped with white or purple, and net-veined towards apex, and with narrowed tail like apex. Spadix thick at base, and with long thread like appendage 8-20 cm. leaves with three rhombic-ovate leaflets; leaf-stalk and stem brown-spotted. 2400-3600 m. May-Jun.
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Arisaema tortuosum. Tall perennial to 158 cm, very distinctive with thick upcurved spadix with long erect dark purple or green tail like appendage, 8-12 cm. sapthe green, rarely purple, with ovate acute blade. Leaves usually 2, with 5-7 broadly ovate to oblanceolate leaflets. 1500-3000 m. May-Jun.
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Arnebia benthami. Distinctive perennial; stem stout leafy to 60 cm bearing a very dense shaggy-haired cylindrical spike of red-purple flowers, and much longer grey-hairy bracts. Leaves linear to narrow-lanceolate, bristly-haired. Calyx-lobes linear, purple-tipped. Corolla-tube c. 2.5 cm, with 5 triangular spreading lobes. 3000-4300 m. May-Jul.
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Bergenia ciliata. Perennial with creeping root stock. Leaves at basal, rounded, with entire bristly margins, short-stalked, much enlarged and turning bright red in autumn. Flowers white or pink-purple, 1.5-2.5 cm long, in dense or spreading clusters, borne on stout leafless stem to 25 cm. calyx hairless, with blunt lobes. Petals 5. Style long. 1800-4300 m. Mar.-Jul.
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Bergenia stracheyi. Like berginia ciliate, but margins of obovate leaves finely toothed, and leaf-stalk enlarged and sheathing nearly throughout its length. Flowers pink, 2-2.5 cm long, in drooping clusters. Calyx hairy, with marginal bristles. 3300-4500 m. Jun-Aug.
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Corydalis cashmeriana. Delicate perennial with unbranched stem 3-10 cm and bulbiferous roots. Leaves mostly basal, with three 3-lobed leaflets; stem-leaves 1-2, smaller. Flowers sky-blue, with darker blue tips, with 1.2-2 cm long including spur, in; lax terminal clusters. Spur half as long as flower, slightly down-curved. 3000-4500 m. May-Aug.
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Cypripedium cordigerum. Stem 25-60 cm, bearing solitary bag-like flowers with spreading yellow, white or green sepals and petals. Leaves several, ovate to lanceolate. Sepals ovate-lanceolate long-pointed, 4-5 cm long; petals narrower; lip globular, white with few purple spots. 2100-4000 m. May-Jun.
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Dactylorhiza hatagirea. Stem robust, leafy, 30-90 cm, bearing terminal spike of many flowers. Leaves many, oblong-lanceolate. Flowers rosy-purple, spotted, c. 1.8 cm long. Upper sepal and petals forming a hood, lateral sepals spreading; lip shallowly three-lobed, spotted dark purple; spur stout, curved. 2800-4000 m. Jun.-Jul.
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Dianthus anatolicus. Densely tufted perennial growing in dryer areas with many slender spreading or ascending stems n15-25 cm. leaves stiff, linear, with thick mid-vein and margin. Flowers pink, c. 1 cm across. Calyx narrow-cylinderical. Petals with broad toothed blades. Bracts broad, with rigid pointed tips. 1800-4500 m. Jul.-Aug.
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Epipactis royleana. Stem 30-60 cm, lax spike of greenish flowers veined with red, and with yellowish or reddish lip. Leaves ovate, lanceolate to narrow-lanceolate, clasping stem at base. Flowers 2.5 cm across. Sepals and petals similar, elliptic-ovate; lip with a large bag-like base much broader than the ovate-lanceolate apex. 1600-3500 m. Jun.- Jul.
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Euphorbia congesta. Slender leafy perennial with stems to 60 cm. leaves oblong acute to narrow-elliptic, to 6 cm. Flower-heads yellowish, in flat-topped branched cluster to 15 cm across. Each flower-head with involucres of 3-4 rounded or ovate acute golden-yellow bracts, hairy within and with rounded entire glands. Fruit rounded, hairless, covered with small swellings. 2100-3600 m. May-Jun.
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Euphorbia wallichi. Tufted erect perennial with several very leafy stems to 60 cm, and with ovate to elliptic bracts below. Leaves linear to narrow-elliptic, to 10 cm. flower-heads yellow, several in a more or less flat-topped cluster, each with 3-4 large rounded or ovate acute, golden to yellow, involucral bracts each with kidney shaped glands. 2300-3600 m. Apr.-May.
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Gentiana carinata. Small compact annual with erect branched stems 2-5 cm. basal leaves oblong to lanceolate; stem-leaves smaller, the upper curved outwards. Flowers dark-blue clustered at ends of short branches. Calyx with lanceolate erect lobes. Corolla-tube narrowly funnel-shaped, c. 1.3 cm long with ovate blunt spreading lobes alternating with bi-lobed lobules of similar size (appearing 10-lobed). 3000-4300 m. May-Aug.
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Geranium wallichianum. Tailing or scrambling perennial with much branched stem 30-120 cm. leaves 3-5 lobed; lobes further lobed and toothed, often fine-pointed; stipules distinctive, large ovate, often coloured, united in pairs. Flowers paired, rose to red-purple, with pale center, 2.4-4 cm across. Sepals bristly-haired on veins, not glandular. 2400-3600 m. Jun.-Sep.
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Geum elatum. Perennial with erect sparsely leafy stem 10-30 cm. basal leaves hairy, pinnately cut into large paired rounded toothed broad-based lobes alternating with much smaller lobes; stem-leaves much smaller. Flowers yellow, rarely red, 2.5-4 cm across, erect or nodding. Petals 5, broadly obovate, much longer than triangular calyx-lobes. Apicalyx-lobes tiny. 2700-4300 m. Jun.-Aug.
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Hackelia uncinata. Erect leafy forest perennial 30-60 cm. leaves broadly elliptic narrow-pointed, with rounded or shallow heart-shaped bases, stalked. Flowers blue with a yellow ring of blunt scales within, with rounded overlapping spreading lobes, to 1.3 cm across, in lax branched clusters. Bracts present. Nutlets with long hooked bristles. 2700-4200 m. Jun.-Aug.
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Heracleum candicanes. Perennial to 2 m. leaves pinnate;y lobed, lobes elliptic-ovate, toothed, white-felted below; upper leaves with large boat shaped sheath. Flowers white, the upper petals of oute flowers larger and 2-lobed. Primary rays numerous; bracts usually absent. Secondary umbels c. 2.5 cm across; bracteoles linear-lanceolate. Fruit obconic, flatten, 7-12 mm long, minutely hairy, with broad lateral wings and slender dorsal ribs. 1800-4300 m. Jun.-Jul.
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Herminium lanceum. Stem 25-75 cm, with a narrow cylindericalk spike of many tiny green flowers c. 6 mm long. Leaves linear. Upper sepals and petals forming hood, lateral sepals spreading; lip oblong, with two narrow curved lobes and a central tooth. 1500-3300 m. Jul. - Aug.
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Herminium monorchis. Musk Orchid. Slender plant 7-15 cm, with a lax spike of tiny greenish flowers. Leaves elliptic-oblong to narrow-lanceolate, upper leaves bract-like. Flowers 2-3mm across honey-scented. Sepals and petals converging, not forming a hood; lip three-lobed, lateral lobes spreading or curved forward. 3000 4300 m. Jun.-Aug.
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Impatiens glandulifera. Robust hairless often gregarious annual 1-2 m. leaves opposite or whorled, lanceolate, with sharp gland-tipped teeth. Flowers red, pink or white, spotted yellow within, 3-4 cm long, in axillary flat-topped clusters. Lower sepal broadly bell shaped, abruptly contracted into slender incurved spur c. 6mm long. Lower petals forming broad lip. Capsule club-shapped. 1800-4000 m. Jul.-Sep.
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Indigofera heterantha. Deciduos often gregarious shrub to 2.5 m, covered with bristly white hairs. Leaves pinnate; leaflets elliptic-oblanceolate, with adpressed white hairs. Flowers purple-pink, 6-10 mm, in erect often almost stalkless spike-lioke clusters. Bracts minute. Calyx oblique bristly-haired, with lobes as long as tube. Pod straight cylindric, hairless. 1500-3000 m. May-Jun.
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Inula grandiflora. Stem leafy throughout, unbranched, 30-45 cm. leaves oblong-lanceolate acute, lobed at base, glandular-tootyhed and fringed with bristly hairs. Flower-heads golden yellow, 4-6 cm across, terminal, solitary; ray-florets many, narrow, 3-lobed at apex. Incolucral bracts with bristly haired teeth, the outer leafy and as long as florets, the inner shorter and linear. 2000-3300 m. Aug.-Oct.
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Iris hookeriana. Flowers one or several, on short leafy stems 5-10 cm. flowers purple, with obovate stalked falls each with white beard; standard elliptic, purple; corolla tube short. Spathe to 6 cm, broader than leaves. 2400-3300 m. Apr.-Jul.
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Jaeschkea oligosperma. Erect annual 10-20 cm. leaves narrow-lanceolate blunt. Flowers blueish to reddish-purple, in a spike-like cluster, the lower axilary flowers widely spaced. Calyx with 4 lanceolate lobes corolla c. 6mm on opening, enlarging to 13 mm; corolla tube globular, lobes triangular and pressed togathre, not apreading; style later exserted. 2700-4300 m. Aug.-Sep.
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Jurinea dolomiaea. Stemless perennial with rosette of prostrate leaves radiating to 30 cm from stout tap root. Leaves oblong blunt, pinnate-lobed, with lobes toothed or shallowly lobed, often with purple mid-vein, wooly beneath, stalked. Flower-heads purpkle, very short-stalked, in dense domed central cluster top 10 cm across. Outer involucral bracts lanceolate, hairy; inner narrower, long-pointed, dark red, pappery. 3000-4300 m. Jul.-Sep.
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Leontopodium himalayanum. Tufted perennial with several leafy densely wooly-haired stems 5-15 cm; rootstock branched above, covered with old leaf bases. Leaves linear acute, 1.5-3 cm, densely white-wooly; basal leaves broader, in lax rosette. Flower heads white turning brown, globular, in dense flat-topped terminal cluster c. 2cm across, surrounded by involucres of much longer densely white wooly leaves spreading to 3-5 cm. involucral bracts papery, purple tipped, the outer densely woolly-haired. 3000-4500 m. Jul.-Oct.
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Leonurus cardiac. Motherwort. Erect leafy perennial to 150 cm . leaves ovate to lanceolate, variously lobed, usually with 3-7 triangular toothed lobes; upper leaves entire or 3-lobed. Flowers pinkish-mauve or white, numerous in whorls, forming a leafy interrupted spike, with lobed bracts and leaves. Calyx with 5 spreading awl-shaped spine-tipped teeth. Corolla c. 12mm , 2 lipped, the lower lip 3-lobed, hairy. 2400-3600 m. Jun.-Aug.
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Liguleria amplexicaulis . Robust nearly hairless perennial to 120 cm. lower leaves rounded-heart shapped, with stalk often interruptedy winged; upper leaves with very broad sheathing boat-shaped basal lobes, upper most leaves boat-shaped. Flower-heads yellow, c. 4 cm across, numerous in dense branched flat-topped terminal cluster; ray florets 5-6, very long slender. Involucral bracts oblong acute, fused below, hairless. 3000-4300 m. Jul.-Sep.
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Lyonia ovalifolia. Small deciduous tree to 10 m, with brown bark peeling in narrow strips. Leaves ovate pointed, to 15 cm, often shaggy-haired beneath. Flowers white, pendulous, numerous in slender one-sided spreading spike-like clusters. Corolla flask-shaped to 12 mm long, with 5 short recurved lobes. 1500-3000 m. Apr.-May.
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Meconopsis aculeate. Bristly- haired monocarpic plant with erect stem to 60 cm. leaves deeply and irregularly pinnate-lobed, sparsely bristly haired; lobes usually rounded-tootyhed and widely spaced. Flowers blue, very rarely purple-red, 5-7 cm across. Distinguished from the rather similar Meconopsis latifolia, which it overlaps in range, by its deeply cut leaves and fewer flowers. 3000-4000 m. Jun.-Aug.
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Morina longifolia. Stem erect 70-140 cm, hairy above. Leaves strap-shaped, with shallow 3-spined lobes and long-pointed spiny apex; stem-leaves fused at base. Flowers rose-pink or white, in whorls borne in long interrupted spike. Corolla tube to 2.5 cm long, slender, with 2 hairy lips. Bracts spiny. 3000-4000 m. Jun.-Sep.
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Olea ferruginea. Shrub or small tree to 10 m, with smooth grey bark. Leaves dark green, leathery, oblong-lanceolate, 3-10 cm, with dense scales beneath. Flowers whitish, in axillary branched clusters to 4 cm. corolla-lobes 4, spreading. Fruits black when ripe. 500-2600 m. Mar.-Sep.
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Oxalis corniculata. Common annual or perennial weed with almost world-wide distribution. Stems spreading, hairy, rooting at nodes, usually less than 15 cm. leaves with 3 heart shaped hairy leaflets. Flowers yellow, 8-10 mm across, solitary, or 2-5 in stalked axillary umbels. To 2800 m. Mar.-Jun.
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Phlomis bracteosa. Erect hairy perennial to 80 cm. leaves heart shaped toothed, stalked. Flowers pink-pueple in few large whiorls in an interrupred spike. Calyx hairy, with 5 awl-shaped teeth much shorter than the tub. Corolla 1.5-2 cm, tube shorter than calyx; upper lip hooded, very hairy, lower lip smaller, 3- lobed. Bracts linear-lanceolate, bristly haired. 1200-4000 m. Jul-Aug.
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Pinus wallichiana . It is a dense evergreen tree, found in the Himalayas, from Afghanistan to Tibet, and forms forests at altitudes of 1800-4300 m. The tree is distinguished by its clusters of long cylindrical hanging cones, and it needle-like blue-green leaves. The tree grows up to 50 m tall, symmetric and pyramidal in shape. The bark is slate-grey which becomes rough and shallowly fissured on old trees. Leaves are 15-20 cm long, needle-like. Cones are 15-25 cm long, in clusters of 2-3. Cone scales are wedge-shaped, wide near the apex - basal scales are usually not, or only slightly, reflexed, very resinous. Its wood is highly resinous, and is used for local contruction, carpentry and making tea-chests. It is good as firewood, but the smoke is pungent due to the resins. Apr.-Jun.
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Quercus semecarpifolia. Tree up to c. 20 m, sometimes shrubby. Young shoots tomentose. Leaves oblong to elliptic-oblong, 3.5-12 x l.6-7.5 cm, obtuse, rarely acute, green and glabrescent above, rusty tomentose on the under surface, leathery, nerves forked, margin entire to spinose. Male inflorescence 4-8 cm long, dense flowered, tomentose; bracts broadly ovate, 2-2.2 mm long, ciliate; perianth segments obtuse; stamens 5-8, filaments c. 2 mm long, anthers oblong, glabrous. Cupule 1.2-1.4 cm broad, pubescent, scales obtuse or acute. Nut subglobose, 2.2-2.5 cm long, glabrescent, dark brown when mature. 2400-3600 m. May-June.
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Salix elegans. Small tree or shrub, with twigs pubescent becoming hairless, Leaft stalks are 2-6 mm long. Leaves are 2.5-6.5 x 1.2-2.4 cm, elliptic, oblong or ovate, margin toothed, tip blunt to pointed, bright green above, lighter on the lower side, velvety when young specially along midrib, becoming hairless. Catkins appear after the leaves. Male catkins are 2.5-7 x 0.4-0.7 cm, on short leafy shoots. Bracts are 0.8-1.6 x 0.4-0.8 mm, obovate, silky pubescent on both sides. Stamens are 2, filaments 2-3 mm, villous in the lower half, united in the lower half or free, solitary erect gland opposite the bract or sometimes 2 glands. Female catkin 3.5-11.5 x 0.6-0.7 cm, on leafy shoots, bracts as in the male catkin. Ovary and stigmas are stalkless, each stigma 2-lobed. Fruiting catkin 4-12 x 0.8-0.9 cm, not dense. Stipe 0.3-0.7 mm long; capsule 4-5 mm long, lanceolate, glabrous. Apr.-May.
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Viburnum grandiflorum. Grand Viburnum is a shrub identified by its dense, nearly stalkless clusters of relatively large pink fragrant flowers, which appear on bare branches before the leaves. Flower clusters are 3-4 cm across, flower-tube slender, up to 1,3 cm long, the lobes 3-4 mm, spreading, elliptic. Leaves are elliptic, 8-10 cm or more, toothed, hairy on veins beneath. Fruit is ellipsoid, red turning black, up to 2 cm, edible. It is a large shrub up to 3 m tall, or a small gnarled tree. 2700-3600 m. April-May.
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Berberis jaeschkeana . Shrub usually about 1 m tall, deciduous. Stems are stout, at first slightly reddish, yellow-brown at maturity, angular; internodes 5-10 mm long. Spines are 3-fid, 1-1.5 cm long. Leaves are 1-2 cm long, 5-8 mm broad, oblong-elliptic, generally green on both sides, net-veined with open venation, usually 2-5 spinose-serrulate at margin, somewhat thin, stalkless or nearly so. Yellow flowers are borne in 3-5 flowered flat-topped clusters,, 2-4 cm long, including 1-2.5 cm long peduncle. Flowers are 0.9-1.2 cm across. stalks 6-9 mm long, hairless. Outer and middle sepals are 4-6 mm long, inner 7-8 mm long, obovate. Petals are slightly shorter or nearly as long as the inner sepals, tip entire, base somewhat clawed. Stamens are 4 mm long with truncate apex. Berries are oblong-ovoid, red, epruinose, 8-10 mm long, 5-6 mm broad, inconspicuously stylose. 3100-3500 m. May-Jun.
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Salvia hians . Himalayan Blue Sage is a short-lived perennial from the Himalayas which has scented, hairy leaves and forms a small shrub 2 feet tall by 2 feet wide. It bears 4 cm long deep-blue flowers with white lips called bee lines. The species name hians means gaping, and refers to the gaping mouth of the flowers. Flowers are borne in tiers of whorls on a flower spike. The flowers have rusty colored sepal cups at their base, with two shallow lips. Overall, the plant is a robust sticky perennial herb, and sports large ovate-heart- shaped or arrow-shaped leaves, up to 25 cm or more, with rounded teeth. The plant grows to about 1-3 ft tall. 2400-4000 m.Jun.-Sep.
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Salvia nubicola. Tall, robust, strong-smelling hairy herb, with large yellow flowers with orange upper lips, borne in large branched spikes at the end of the stem. Flowers occur in distant whorls of few flowers. Whorls are subtended by ovate-elliptic bracts of varying sizes. Flowers are 2-3 cm long with a hairy sepal cup about 1 cm long. The upper lip is long, curved and with an in-curved margin. Lower lip is 2-lobed. Leaves are glandular hairy, ovate oblong, toothed, stalked, with triangular spreading basal lobes. Leaves are large, 10-18 cm, and the plant can grow up to 2-4 ft tall. 2100-4300 m. Jun-Aug.
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Senecio diversifolius. Perennnial which can grow up to 40-50 cm high. The lower leaves are divided pinnately, rounded terminally. Beautiful yellow flowers appear in compound-corymb shaped heads. Flowers are shaped like Cinerarias, which belong to Senecio genus too. However, the central dark-brown disk is larger than the "petals" or the ray florets. The ray florets themselves are yellow, elliptic, grooved and notched at the tip. Light and cool tendency, tolerant to wetness. Found on the grassy slopes of the Himalayas at altitudes of 2300-3900 m. The older name Senecio diversifolius has been changed to Secencio raphanifolius. The species name raphanifolia means fast appearing leaves. Jul-Sep.
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Wulfeniopsis amherstiana. Perennial herb characterized by tubular blue-purple flowers in one-sides spikes. Flowers are drooping, about 8 mm long, with 4 nearly straight pointed petals, and a protruding style. Flowering spikes are 8-15 cm long. Sepal cup is half as long as the flower, sepals lanceshaped pointed. Leaves are all at the base, crowded, oblong-obovate, narrowed below, 5-10 cm long, coarsely and irregularly rounded-lobed or toothed, stalked. Flowering stems are leafless, unbranches, 10-25 cm. Capsules are 2-chambered, oblong. 1500-3000 m. Jul-Aug.
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Swertia ciliate. Annual herb 20-100 cm tall, with quadrangular stem, sometimes branched. Leaves are 1-6 x 0.5-2.5 cm, narrowly ovate, pointed, ciliate or not. Flowers are borne in many-flowered panicles. Flowers are 5-merous. Sepals are 3-5 x 0.5-2 mm, narrowly ovate to ovate, pointed. Flowers are pale blue or bluish white with purple band near the base above the gland, tube 0.5-1 mm, 3-7 x 1-3 mm, ovate, acute reflexed or not. Gland one per lobe, horse-shoe-shaped. Filaments are flattened, puberulent, fused at base, staminal tube 1.5-2 mm, anther oblong-ovate, obtuse. Ovary 5-9 mm, gynophore 0.5-2 mm, style distinct, stigmas sub-linear. Capsule 6-15 mm. 2800-4000 m. Jul.-Sep.
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Gaultheria trichophylla. Himalayan Snowberry is striking for its enchanting sky-blue berries. It is a spreading prostrate dwarf shrublet, of rocks and banks, with bristly brown branched stems. Leaves tiny, opposite, elliptic, 3-7 mm long, margin serrate with long bristles. Flowers red, pink or nearly white, widely bell-shaped, 5-6 mm across. Sepals are triangular, 2 mm. Fruit is a sky-blue berry, 6-10 mm in diameter. 2700-4500 m. May-Jul.
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Euphorbia peplus.. Annual plant growing to between 5-30 cm tall. They are commonly found small in size, growing as weeds of cultivation. Stems are smooth, hairless. Leaves are oval-pointed, 1-3 cm long, with a smooth margin. It has green flowers in three-rayed umbels. The glands, typical of the spurge family, are kidney-shaped with long thin horns. In India it is found in Jammu and Kashmir and Meghalaya.
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Carduus edelbergii . tall stout thistle 1-2 ft tall, grooved, with wavy wigs. It has thorny lobed leaves 0.5-1 ft long. Flower-heads are born singly, 2-4 cm across, pink. Edelberg's Cotton Thistle is found in the Himalayas. Seed-pods are pale brown. Edelberg's Cotton Thistle is found in the Himalayas, from Afghanistan to Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh at altitudes of 2000-4500 m.
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Aster flaccidus. Perennial with stem 3-12 cm, leafy or leafless. Basal leaves in cluster direct from rootstock, oblanceolate with wavy margins, narrowed to stalk; stem-laeves if present lanceolate, stem-clasping. Flower-heads solitary, 3-4 cm across; ray-florets mauve, very numerous, linear, spreading; disk-florets yellow. Involucral bracts oblong long-pointed, wooly-hairded. 3600-5200 m. Jul.-Sep
Important Links
Threatend Flora of Chenab Valley
Posters Displaying Threatened Biodiversity of Jammu & Kashmir
e-Flora of Pir Panjal
(Page Under Construction)
e-Flora of Trans Himalyas
(Page Under Construction)