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(Last Modified On 5/16/2022)
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Acceptance
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Accepted
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(Last Modified On 1/9/2021)
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Contributor Text:
Abdul Ghafoor
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Contributor Institution:
Centre for Plant Conservation, University of Karachi – PAKISTAN
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Synonym Text:
Aplotaxis lappa Decne. in Jacq.Voy. Bot. 96. t. 104. 1844; Saussurea lappa (Decne.) Sch. Bip. in Linnaea 19: 331. 1846; Clarke, Comp. Ind.: 233. 1876; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 3: 376. 1881; Bamber, Pl. Punj. 370. 1916; Blatter, Beautif. Flow. Kashm. 1: 185. Tab. 33, Fig.. 1. 1927; Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch. in Bot. J. URSS 49: 131. 1964; R. R.Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. & Kashm. 775. 1972; Lipsch., Rod. Saussurea: 92. 1979; Kitam. in Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 24 (1-2): 23. 1969; Huxley, Royal Hort. Soc. Dict. Gard. 4: 207. 1992; Hajra in Hajra et al, Fl. Ind. 12: 196. 1995.
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Flower/Fruit:
Fl. Per.: June – September Vern.: Kuth, Kustha, Kust, Post Khai, Nane Menal
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Type:
Type: Described from India, Falconer s.n (K000372736).
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Distribution:
Pakistan (Kashmir), India (Himachal Pradesh, Utter Khand); cultivated in China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhour, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan etc.) for commercial exploitation of its roots in herbal medicine.
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Comment/Acknowledgements:
Commonly grows in forests and alpine meadows between 2000-3000 m. in Pakistan (Kashmir: Neelum valley, Chenab valley etc. ), India (Lahul, Garhwal).
Aucklandia costus Falc. ( =Saussurea costus) is an endangered species due to indiscriminate collection of its roots which are used in perfumery as they yield an aromatic oil. The carrot-like roots, called Kuth, contain an alkaloid “saussurine” which is medicinally important, used as an antiseptic to treat chronic skin diseases and also for treating asthma, high blood pressure and stomach ailments. The roots are used as carminative, stimulant, prophylactic, rejuvinative and sedative.
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Map Location:
B-7 Kishenganga (now Neelum) Valley, Kunpathri in Tilel, 10 – 11000 ft., Leaves only, Vern. Kuth, 13 September 1909, Keshvanand 1515 (K); Muzzafarabad Dist.: Sharda, Kishen Ganga Valley, in forest, Jan Mohd. 93 (RAW); Azad Kashmir, Sharda, 23.8. 1958 Jan Mohd. 135 (RAW); B-8 Sonamarg, Kashmir, in forest shade, ± 9000 ft., “Kath”, looks much like a burdock, August 14, 1922, R. R. Stewart 6314a (NY); Kashmir, above Tarag(K)bal, alpine meadow, herb, 5 ft. high, fls. purplish-black, 10,000 ft., July 31, 1936, Walter Koelz 9118 (NY); Kashmir, Sonamarg, damp woods, ±9 – 10,000 ft., 15.7.1928, R. R. Stewart 9801b (NY); Kashmir, no specified locality, 9 – 10000 ft. usually,Aug. 1922, R.R. & I. D. Stewart s.n. (KUH); Kashmir, Masjid Nar, above Kun Pattan, ± 12 – 13000 ft., August 13, 1939, R. R. Stewart 18453a (NY); Kashmir, Bijbara (Bijbehara), 5500 ft., sine datum, G.L.G. Fuller 840 (K); Kashmir, Regio Temp., 8 – 10000 ft., T. T s.n. (K); Kashmir, Vicinity of Pahlgam, on east Lidder River, 17 road-miles North of Islamabad, on the mountains behind Pahalgam and Sonamarg, 9000 ft., July-August 1927, F.G. Dickason 912 (MICH); Gulmarg, Kashmir, 9500 ft., 5th Aug. 1919, H.H. Rich 1216 (K); Barzil, 11300 ft., Kashmir, 28 July 1876, C. B. Clarke 29729 (K); Kashmir, not uncommon at Kilam, 10000 ft., hidden among shrubs, Roots used “Kuth”, Aug. 1877, Dr Aitchison 58 (K); Kashmir, Dr. H.W. Bellew s.n. (K); Kashmir, Gorai, 9500 ft., Damp silverfir forest, Northern aspect, Fls. blue-purple, root dried and exported to China, incense, 31.11.28, B.B.Osmaston 23 (K); Azad Kashmir, Loser Top, Neelum Valley, Robust tall stem, flower heads stalkless, subglobose forming terminal clusters, 14.8.1999, Ulfat Hussain Zargar s.n. (KUH 786370); Astore, Northern Areas, Gorikot P.R.C. cultivated field, erect perennial herb upto 3 ft. tall, flower dark blue, alt.±2000 m, Vern. Nane Menal, used medicinally, 26.5.2008, Ali Noor 1473 (KUH); Astore, N.A., Kala Pani Janedup, alt. 3415 m, 74º 54ʹ 09ʺ E, 34º 51ʹ 08ʺ N, perennial herb, aromatic and used in different diseases i.e., tooth ache, abdominal disease, vern.Nane Minal, 5.9.2007, Ali Noor 1129 (KUH); Kashmir, Tragbal Pass, 10000 ft., July 24, 1919, R.R. & I.D. Stewart 4647 (RAW); C-8 Kashmir, Banihal Pass, 9000 ft., July 1934, R.R. Stewart 14089 (RAW); Kashmir, Poonch Dist.: Nil Ranih, ± 10000, Aug. 28, 1955, Jan Mohd. J 35 (RAW); Sonamarg, Kashmir, 9.8.1928, R.R. Stewart s.n. (RAW); Pahalgam, Kashmir, 9000 ft., “Kuth Root” July 21, 1928, R.R. & I. D. Stewart s.n. (RAW); Kashmir, above Minimarg, 9 – 10000 ft., 4.8.1946, R.R. & I. D. Stewart s.n. (RAW)
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Perennial, upright, up to 1.5 (-2.5) m tall robust herb with up to 5 (-6) cm thick rootstock and ribbed, simple or apically branched, 1 – 2 cm thick, hairy stem. Leaves green, sparsely hairy and gland-dotted above, brownish-green and sparsely strigose beneath; basal and lower cauline leaves very large, on 10 – 50 (-60) cm long, broadly winged lobed petioles, lamina triangular –ovate, 20 – 50 cm long, 10 – 20 (-30) cm wide, basally cordate or triangular-hastate, lyrate, margins sinuate-dentate, apices acute; median and upper cauline leaves shortly petiolate or sessile, (5-) 10 – 20 (-30) cm long, (3-) 5 – 15 (-20) cm wide, auriculate-semiamplexicaul at base. Capitula 2-7, sessile in terminal synflorescence. Invlucre hemispherical, 2 – 4 cm wide, glabrous. Phyllaries 7 – 9 (-10)-seriate, dark purple to blackish, arachnoid hairy to glabrescent at spine-like, reflexed apices; outer phyllaries narrowly triangular-ovate, 15 – 20 mm long, 1 – 2 mm wide; median phyllaries narrowly elliptic 1.5 – 2 cm long, 2 – 3 mm wide, ; inner ones narrowly elliptic-linear, 1.8 – 2.5 cm long, 2 – 3 mm wide. Receptacle with subulate, up to 12 mm long bristles. Corolla dark purple, 1.5 – 2 cm long, tube 7 – 12 mm long, limb 7 – 10 mm long with 4 – 5 mm long lobes. Cypselas obconical to oblong, (6-) 8 – 10 (-11) mm long, brown and black-spotted, wrinkled, crown crenulated or dentate apices. Pappus 1.2 – 1.7 mm long, brownish-pale feathery.
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