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(Last Modified On 5/20/2022)
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Acceptance
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Accepted
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(Last Modified On 1/8/2021)
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Contributor Text:
Abdul Ghafoor, M. Qaiser & Roohi Abid
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Contributor Institution:
Centre for Plant Conservation, University of Karachi – PAKISTAN
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Synonym Text:
S. pamirica C. Winkl. in Acta Horti Petrop. 11 (1): 171. 1889; Saussurea chthonocephala Bornm., Repert. Sp. Nov. Reg. Veg. 108: 59. 1938; Kitamura, Fl. Afghan.: 439. 1960; R. R. Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. & Kashm. 773. 1972; S. violacea Pamp., Sped. Ital. De Filippi Himal. 1913-14, Ser. 2, (Aggiunte Fl. Caracorum) 177. Tab. 9. Fig. 5. 1934; Aplotaxis approximata Schisch. & Serg. in Animadvers. Syst. Herb. Univ. Tomsk. 1944 (1): 2. 1944.
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Flower/Fruit:
Fl. Per.: July – October
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Type:
Type: Sarydjas Glacier, Tian Shan mountains, 9000 – 10000 ft., P. Semenow, s. n. (LE).
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Distribution:
Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia,), Russia (Western Siberia), Afghanistan, Pakistan (Gilgit, Baltistan, Kashmir), NW India, China (Qinghai, W. Sichuan, Sinkiang, and Tibet).
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Comment/Acknowledgements:
An high altitude plant, grows on alpine screes, among the rocks between 3800 and 5200 m.
Leaves and flowers are used in liver, throat and heart problems by Amchi (Tibetan and Ladakhi) medicine practitioners in many parts of Himalayas. It is also used in mental disorders in India.
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Map Location:
A-6 Chitral Dist.: In Jugo Dorah, 4800 m, 23. 8. 1935, Kerstan 1534 (HAL) (Type of Saussurea chthonocephala Bornm.); North-West-Frontier: Chitral, Dorah Pass, Lutko Valley, NW of Chitral, alt. 4350 m, on flat windswept summit of pass, very small scree, 13 September 1958, J.D.A. Stainton 3242 (E, UPS); A-8 Pakistan, Northern Areas, Khunjerab Top, ±16500 ft., small herb, Fls. pinkish-blue, on stony rocks, not common, 20.8. 1987, Muqarrab Shah & Jamshed 176 (E00160023); B-9 Kashmir, Prov. Ladakh, Camp 726, 5.8. 1933, Nils Ambolt 6217b (S); Ladak, Rumbak to Kanda La Pass (SW of Leh), 1 to 7 Sept. 1856, Schlagintweit Cat. # 6300 (M): Kashmir, Top of Búbang, or Súru Pass (pass between Dras and Kashmir), October 12, 1856, Schlagintweit Cat. # 5089 (A); Kashmir, Ladakh, Iramak, Taklung La, alt. 17000 ft., Fls. Rose lavender to lavender, 14 August 1933, Walter Koelz 6506 (H); Kashmir (Prov. Ladakh), Khardong, in montibus Karakorum, 4100 m, 1933, Nils Ambolt 6388 (S); Baltistan, Khunjerab Pass, Top on Pak-China border, alt. ± 4700 m, Erect annual herb, flower pinkish, rays hairs white, 4.10.1989, S.I. Ali, W. Sugong, T. Ali & Like 3323 (KUH); Baltistan, ca 7 Km from Khunjerab Pass (Top) on way to Sost, annual herb, 6.10. 1989, S.I. Ali, W. Sugong, T. Ali & Like 3397 (KUH); About 7 km from Khunjerab Pass (Top) on way to Sost, alt. ± 4400 m, annual herb, disc florets yellow, 6.10.1989, S.I. Ali & W Sugong et al., 3399 (KUH).
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A low growing, tufted, cottony-white, 2 – 6 (-10) cm tall perennial, with shortened rarely elongated, glabrescent, tunicated rootstock covered by preceding years decayed leaves and several leaf rosettes. Stem solitary, unbranched. Leaves in rosette and on stem, somewhat fleshy, thinly leathery on drying, shortly petiolate, narrowly elliptic-obovate or oblong-spathulate, 10 – 30 (-40) mm long, (4-) 5 – 8 (-10) mm wide, white-woolly above, yellowish to white woolly beneath, basally cuneate-attenuate, margins crenate or entire, obtuse at the apices; upper cauline leaves akin to rosette ones, elliptic, not reflexed, patent. Capitula sessile, 3 – 12 (-15), aggregated in hemispherical, 1.5 – 4 cm across synflorescence on top of ± dilated stem surrounded by, but not enveloped by rosette of leaves. Involucre cylindrical to narrowly campanulate,6 – 10 mm wide, purplish. Phyllaries 3 – 4-seriate, membranous, with acute to acuminate apices; outer phyllaries narrowly ovate-elliptic, 9 – 10 (-12) mm long, 2.5 – 3 mm wide, apically purple or blackish and woolly hairy; median phyllaries narrowly oblong, 8 – 12 mm long, 1.5 – 2 mm wide; innermost linear, 9 – 13 mm long, 1 – 1.5 mm wide, glabrous. Receptacle with upto 2.5 mm long, white bristles. Corolla purple or pinkish-purple, 8 – 10 mm long, tube 3 – 4 mm long, limb 6 – 6.5 mm long with 2 -2.5 mm long lobes. Cypselas cylindric to obconical, 3 – 4 mm long, glabrous. Pappus biseriate, prominent at flowering, outer bristles white to dirty white, 2 – 2.5 mm long, scabrid to feathery, inner bristles basally brown, dirty white to apices, 8 – 10 mm long.
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