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Pedicularis gracilis var. brunoniana (Wall. ex Pennell) T. Husain &
Arti Garg: rst report from Ladakh, Trans-Himalaya, India
Sakina Banoo1٭, Aijaz H. Ganie2, Anzar Ahmad Khuroo1
1 Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India • SB: sakinabanoo1990@
gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3143-9409 AAK: anzarak@uok.edu.in https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0251-2793
2 Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Kargil Campus, Kargil, Ladakh, India • AHG: aijazku@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-
0002-8890-8050
* Corresponding author e-mail:
Abstract
We report Pedicularis gracilis var. brunoniana (Wall. ex Pennell) T. Husain & Arti Garg (Orobanchaceae) for the rst
time from Ladakh, a region of Trans-Himalaya in India. This variety is most similar to P. gracilis var. macrocarpa
but diers in having out-curved galea, long calyx lobes with hairy margin. Detailed morphological notes along with
photographs are provided to validate this report and facilitate the eld identication of this taxon. As we observed only
small populations of this variety, strategies are likely required for its conservation in this Himalayan region.
Keywords
Biodiversity, biogeography, oristic diversity, Himalaya, taxonomy
Academic editor: Amit Kumar | Received 24 December 2021 | Accepted 4 March 2022 | Published 14 March 2022
Citation: Banoo S, Ganie AH, Khuroo AA (2022) Pedicularis gracilis var. brunoniana (Wall. ex Pennell) T. Husain & Arti Garg: rst report from
Ladakh, Trans-Himalaya, India. Check List 18 (2): 269–273. https://doi.org/10.15560/18.2.269
Introduction
The genus Pedicularis L., commonly called louseworts,
comprise roughly 677 accepted species which occur
worldwide (POWO 2021). The genus mostly comprises
hemiparasitic herbs with alternate, opposite, whorled
pinnatid or pinnatisect leaves, a tubular calyx, and a
highly variable corolla, which is mostly used in taxonomic
delimitation. The unique corolla in the genus generally
consists of a basal tube and two distal lips: the upper lip
called the galea is compressed and hood-shaped, contain-
ing stamens and style, and the lower lip called the labium
is spreading and with three lobes (Li 1951).
From India, 84 species, including 14 subspecies and
nine varieties, have been so far reported (Husain et al.
2010; Garg and Singh 2015; Singh et al. 2016). From
Ladakh—a cold-desert region in the Trans-Himalaya—
several species of Pedicularis have been reported (Dar
and Khuroo 2020). During recent botanical surveys in
Drass valley in the Kargil district of Ladakh, we col-
lected specimens of an unknown Pedicularis taxon.
After critical investigation of its morphological charac-
ters, the specimens were identied as Pedicularis graci-
lis Wall. ex Benth. var. brunoniana (Wall. ex Pennell) T.
Husain & Arti Garg (Husain and Garg 2003). Until now,
this variety has not been reported from Ladakh. There-
fore, we report P. gracilis var. brunoniana from Ladakh
for the rst time.
Check List 18 (2): 269–273
https://doi.org/10.15560/18.2.269
2
18
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NOTES ON GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
270 Check List 18 (2)
Methods
The Lada k h reg ion is pa r t of the Trans-Hi mal aya biogeo-
graphic zone (Rodgers and Panwar 1988). This region,
which has an area of roughly 60,000 km2, consists of
highly rugged mountain terrain bordering Pakistan in
the west and China in the north and east (Dar and Khu-
roo 2020). Ladakh is near the meeting points of three
major oristic regions: the Central Asian Region (almost
arid), the Irano-Turanian Region (with winter rains), and
the Sino-Himalayan Region (with summer rains).
We used standard methods for the collection, pro-
cessing, and preparation of herbarium specimens (Brid-
son and Forman 1998). Voucher specimens have been
deposited at the University of Kashmir Herbarium
(KASH). We identied our specimens by consulting
the relevant literature (Pennell 1943; Husain and Garg
2003). For nomenclature, we followed IPNI (2021). We
prepared the distribution map using QGIS (2020). The
macro- and micro-morphological characters were photo-
graphed by using a Samsung Galaxy S10 mobile phone
and a Dino-lite hand-held eld microscope.
Results
Pedicularis gracilis var. brunoniana (Wall. ex
Pennell) T. Husain & Arti Garg
Tai wa nia 48 (1): 50, g. 1a, e, i (Husain and Garg 2003).
Figu re 1
Materials examined. INDIA – Ladakh • Matayen Drass
Kargil; 34°20′32″N, 075°37′00″E; 3737 m a.s.l.; 6 Aug.
2020; 34°21′31″N, 075°36′33″E; 3484 m a.s.l.; 6 Aug.
2020; 34°21′31″N, 075°36′33″E; 3484 m a.s.l.; 8 Aug.
2020; S. Banoo, A.A Khuroo, A.H. Ganie leg.; KASH
46324, 46322, 3484.
Identi cation. Annual herb, 5.5–40 cm long. Stem sol-
itary to 5-branched, arising from base; densely hyaline
pubescent. Both basal and cauline leaves pinnatisect:
basal leaves petiolate, 1–4 cm long, and lamina 1–2 cm
long with 5–7 pairs pinnae; cauline leaves in 2–4 whorls,
each whorl has 3 or 4 leaves; leaf towards base petiolate,
4–20 mm long, and lamina 1.5–2.0 cm in length; pinnae
in 6–9 pairs; abaxial surface pubescent along mid-vein
and adaxial surface pubescent throughout. Inorescence
racemose, interrupted; spike 4–8 whorled; 4 owers in
each whorl. Flowers complete, bisexual, with short pedi-
cel, 2 mm long, sparsely pubescent; at the time of fruit-
ing, pedicel slightly longer, up to 4 mm, bracteate; bract
leaf-like, sessile, 1–20 mm long; abaxial surface of bract
pubescent along mid-vein and adaxial surface pubescent
throughout; pinnae in 3–6 pairs. Calyx 4–10 mm, 5-lobed
(sometimes 6-lobed); calyx tubular, 4–10 mm long, lobes
free, 1–4 mm; lobes of unequal length, dentate; margin
ciliate or hairy; calyx tube densely pubescent outside,
glabrous inside; free dentate lobes sparsely pubescent
outside and pubescent inside; calyx tube purple to vio-
let to green, with 10–15 mid-veins. Corolla pinkish pur-
ple, labium throat white, 6–10 mm long; galea 6–12 mm
long, bent at a right angle, swollen in middle, out-curved
with its beak 6 mm; labium 1–1.4 cm long, 3-lobed, me-
dian lobe longer than lateral, lateral lobe overlapped,
sinus invisible, median lobe orbicular-suborbicular, mar-
gin entire, tip rounded. Stamens 4, epipetalous; laments
1.0–1.7 cm long, glabrous; anther 1.5–2.0 mm long, ba-
sixed versatile, dithecal, dehiscence longitudinal. Car-
pel monocarpellary, ovary 3.0–4.0 × 1.0–1.5 mm; style
2.0–2.5 cm long, glabrous; stigma globose, protruding
out of galea. Fruit capsule, ovoid-lanceolate, 10–12 mm
long. Seeds many, ellipsoid-oblong, 1.1–1.5 × 0.4–0.6
mm. (Fig. 1).
Distribution. India (Himachal Pradesh: Moralkhanda;
Rakeham; Haripurdhar; Uttarakhand: Kumaon; Garh-
wal; and now reported in Ladakh: Matayen Drass). Fig-
ure 2.
Habitat. Growing in moist alpine meadows.
Phenology. Flowers and fruits from June to September.
Discussion
New distribution records in global biodiversity hotspots,
such as the Himalaya, are important in meeting the Wal-
lacean shortfall in biodiversity science (Gulzar et al.
2021). Our new record of Pedicularis gracilis var. brun-
oniana is the rst for the ora of Ladakh Himalaya.
Pedicularis gracilis Wall. ex Benth. is classied in
the gracilis series (eFloras.org 2008) and has three sub-
species: P. gracili s subsp. gracilis Wall. ex Benth., P.
gracilis subsp. brunoniana (Wall. ex Pennell) T. Husain
& Arti Garg, and P. g racili s subsp. sinensis P.C. Tsoong.
In the brunoniana subspecies, two varieties are recog-
nized: P. g racilis var. brunoniana (Wall. ex Pennell) T.
Husain & Arti Garg and P. gracilis var. macrocarpa
(Prain) Husain & Garg. These varieties are distinguished
on the basis of variation in the calyx lobes, galea, and
bract.
Until now, 19 species including three subspecies and
three varieties of genus Pedicularis have been reported
from Ladakh Himalaya (Stewart 1972; Kachroo et al.
1977; Polunin and Stainton 1984; Dvorsky et al. 2018;
Dorjey and Dolma 2021). The Pedicularis plants are
reported to serve as foraging source for insect pollina-
tor, thereby strengthening the mutualistic interactions
between plant and pollinators (Tong and Huang 2018),
which highlights their critical role in maintaining eco-
logical and evolutionary processes.
Alpine and cold-desert areas are some of the most
crucial biodiversity reservoirs, but the vegetation of
these areas is among the least investigated (Andrea et al.
2009; Cannone et al. 2007). Our new record of P. g raci-
lis va r. brunoniana was collected from a natural popula-
tion in the interior valley of Matayen, Drass District of
Kargil, Ladakh. We located only one population of this
taxon in the entire area of our study with only about 40
individuals in two patches about 5 m apart. We found the
Banoo et al. | Pedicularis gracilis var. brunoniana from Ladakh 271
Figure 1. Pedicularis gracilis var. brunoniana (Wall. ex Pennell) T. Husain & Arti Garg. A. Habitat. B. Habit. C. Inorescence. D. Cauline leaves
in whorls. E. Adaxial surface of bract. F. Abaxial surface of caly x. G. Adaxial surface of calyx. H. Abaxial surface of bract. I. Lobes of labium.
J. Anther showing pollen dehiscence. K. Ovary and style. L. Globose stigma. M. Unripe fruit. N. Ripe fruit. O. Seeds.
272 Check List 18 (2)
heights of plants in this population much reduced, which
may be due to high elevation.
In the study area, livestock overgrazing threatens
the survival of P. gracili s var. brunoniana, which has
already a small population size. Therefore, seeds from
this population could be collected and grown in botanical
gardens as an ex-situ conservation strategy.
In traditional medicine of Ladakh, P. gracilis is
reported to treat various human ailments (Yatoo et al.
2017). Pedicularis gracilis contains phytochemicals like
tannins, terpenoids, avonoids, glycosides (Karanjit et
al. 2007). The roots are reported to relieve joint pain
(Balami 2004).
Acknowledgements
We greatly acknowledge the help provided by the mem-
bers of BIOTA Laboratory and supporting sta at Centre
for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany,
University of Kashmir. We are thankful to Sub-District
Magistrate, Drass and Forest Department, Kargil, for
granting permission to conduct our botanical survey. S.
Banoo acknowledges the University Grants Commission
(345437), New Delhi, for funding. The reviewers, aca-
demic editor and copy editor are also acknowledged for
their useful comments, which has improved quality of
the manuscript.
Author’s Contributions
Conceptualization: AHG, AAK. Data curation: SB. For-
mal analysis: SB. Funding acquisition: SB. Investigation:
AAK. Methodology: AHG, AAK. Resources: AAK.
Software: SB. Supervision: AHG, AAK. Validation:
AHG, AAK. Visualization: SB. Writing – original draft:
SB, AAK. Writing – review and editing: AHG, AAK.
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