Tag:

Spring

Fabaceae

Butea buteiformis

by GP Jürgens

(Voigt) Grierson

Bhutan2014 146
Bhutan Trashigang 1900m, May
Nepal 2001 229 ergebnis ergebnis
Nepal (Gorkha) Tullikot 1750m, May

Description

Butea buteiformis is a small tree or scandent shrub of the subtropical and warm-temperate broad-leaved forests of the eastern and central Himalaya, ranging through Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, with some 220 georeferenced collections documenting a continuous arc along the southern Himalayan front. It occupies forest margins, ravines and secondary thickets, typically between about 1000 and 2200 m. The photographed plants were recorded at Trashigang in eastern Bhutan at 1900 m and at Tullikot in the Gorkha district of central Nepal at 1750 m, both flowering in May, a season coinciding with the pre-monsoon flush in these mid-montane belts.

The species is a deciduous, often climbing legume with twining or trailing branches and stout, lenticellate stems. The leaves are pinnately trifoliolate, the leaflets broadly ovate to rhombic, coriaceous, with the lateral pair distinctly oblique and a prominent reticulate venation; young growth is silky-pubescent. The inflorescences are dense axillary or terminal racemes bearing showy papilionaceous flowers; the calyx is campanulate and silky-tomentose, and the corolla is bright orange to scarlet, the standard recurved and the keel strongly curved, as is characteristic of bird-pollinated Butea. The fruit is a flattened, indehiscent, samaroid pod, thickened and seed-bearing toward the apex.

Butea is a small palaeotropical genus allied to Spatholobus and Meizotropis within the tribe Phaseoleae; B. buteiformis is distinguished from the lowland B. monosperma by its montane habit, smaller stature and more slender, often climbing form. The vivid ornithophilous flowers are visited by sunbirds and other nectarivores. Though not assessed as threatened and locally frequent, populations face forest clearance along accessible mid-elevation slopes.

Author: (Voigt) Grierson · Sources: POWO (Kew), GBIF, Flora of Bhutan, Flora of Nepal, Legumes of the World (Lewis et al.)

Fabaceae

Cadrastis delavayi

by G & P Jürgens

(Franch.) Prain

Bhutan2014 68
Bhutan Trashigang 1600m, May
Bhutan2014 67
Bhutan Trashigang 1600m, May

Description

Cladrastis delavayi (here spelled Cadrastis delavayi) is a deciduous tree of the eastern Sino-Himalaya, distributed from Bhutan and northeast India through northern Myanmar into south-central and southwestern China. It occurs in mixed broad-leaved and evergreen forest on warm-temperate to subtropical mountain slopes, generally between roughly 1000 and 2500 m. The photographed individual was recorded at Trashigang in eastern Bhutan at about 1600 m, flowering in May. The associated GBIF record is a spurious genus-level match (returning the kingdom-rank name and a global occurrence figure), so distribution here follows regional floristic accounts rather than the misapplied dataset.

The species is a medium-sized tree with smooth bark and odd-pinnate (imparipinnate) leaves bearing several alternate, ovate-elliptic, entire leaflets that are softly pubescent beneath. The flowers are borne in terminal, branched panicles and have the papilionaceous structure typical of Faboideae: a broad standard, two lateral wings and a keel of two partly fused petals, the colour white to creamy and often fragrant. The androecium comprises ten free or basally connate stamens, and the fruit is a flattened, several-seeded legume that is narrowly winged along the sutures and dehisces tardily.

Cladrastis is a small disjunct genus of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with species in eastern Asia and a single North American representative (the yellowwood, C. kentukea), making it a classic example of the East Asian–North American floristic disjunction. C. delavayi, named for the French missionary-collector Père Delavay, is one of the Chinese species and yields a hard, attractively grained timber. It is locally distributed but not regarded as globally threatened.

Author: (Franch.) Prain · Sources: POWO (Kew), GBIF, Flora of Bhutan, Flora of China (Fabaceae), Duley & Vincent revision of Cladrastis (Leguminosae)

Orchideaceae

Calanthe brevicornu

by G & P Jürgens

Lindl.

Nepal 2009 56 ergebnis scaled
Nepal 2009 57 ergebnis scaled
Nepal Helambu Doroli 3550, May

Description

Calanthe brevicornu is a terrestrial orchid distributed across the Himalayas and East Asia, from Nepal and northeast India through Bhutan and Myanmar to China and Japan. GBIF records over 320 occurrences, with the majority from China. The species inhabits montane and subalpine forests, growing in deep leaf litter and humus-rich soil in the understory of Rhododendron, Quercus, and mixed broadleaved-coniferous forests at 1,300–3,600 m elevation.

This is an evergreen Calanthe of compact habit. The pseudobulbs are reduced, largely concealed by leaf sheaths. Leaves are 2–4, elliptic-lanceolate, 15–30 cm long, plicate, persisting through the winter. The inflorescence is an erect raceme 15–35 cm tall, bearing 5–15 flowers that open sequentially. The specific epithet 'brevicornu' (short horn) refers to the characteristically short, stout spur, only 3–6 mm long — distinguishing it from many congeners with elongate spurs. Flowers are 2–3 cm across, white to pale pink, the lip trilobed with a yellowish callus. Flowering occurs from April to June.

The record from Helambu at 3,550 m represents the upper elevational limit for this species. At such altitudes, flowering coincides with the pre-monsoon spring, when Calanthe brevicornu blooms alongside Rhododendron species in the subalpine zone of central Nepal.

Author: Lindl. · Sources: POWO (Kew), Flora of Nepal Checklist, GBIF, Flora of China Vol. 25, Pearce & Cribb: The Orchids of Bhutan (2002)

Orchideaceae

Calanthe chloroleuca

by GP Jürgens

Lindl.

Nepal 97 299 P600
Nepal new Clepua 2370m May
Nepal 97 301 G602
Nepal new Clepua 2370m May
Nepal 2001 147 ergebnis ergebnis
East-Nepal Bhalukhop 2520m, April

Description

Calanthe chloroleuca is a terrestrial orchid of restricted distribution in the eastern Himalayas, known from Nepal, northeast India (Sikkim), Bhutan, and southwest China (Yunnan). With fewer than 20 documented occurrences in GBIF, it is one of the rarer Calanthe species in the region. The species grows in moist, shaded forest understory, on humus-rich soils among leaf litter, at elevations of 2,000–3,000 m.

The plant is an evergreen species with reduced pseudobulbs hidden by leaf bases. It produces 3–5 elliptic, plicate leaves 15–25 cm long. The inflorescence is an erect raceme 20–40 cm tall, carrying 8–15 flowers. The name 'chloroleuca' derives from Greek chloros (green) and leukos (white), accurately describing the flower coloration: sepals and petals are greenish-white, and the lip is white with a greenish or yellowish tinge, trilobed, with low, parallel keels on the disc. The spur is slender, 1–1.5 cm long, slightly curved. Flowering occurs from April to May.

Calanthe chloroleuca is easily confused with the similarly coloured C. brevicornu, from which it differs in its longer spur, narrower lip lobes, and more elongated floral bracts. Its rarity in herbarium collections may partly reflect the difficulty of distinguishing it from congeners in the field.

Author: Lindl. · Sources: POWO (Kew), Flora of Nepal Checklist, GBIF, Flora of Bhutan Vol. 3

Orchideaceae

Calanthe griffithii

by GP Jürgens

Paxton & Lindl.

Bh2008 443 G693
Bhutan Gogona, 3400m April
Bh2008 513 P788
Bhutan Gogona, 3400m April

Description

Calanthe griffithii is a terrestrial orchid of the eastern Himalayas, named in honour of William Griffith, whose botanical collections from Bhutan and Assam in the 1830s–40s remain foundational for Himalayan botany. The species is distributed from Pakistan through Nepal, northeast India, and Bhutan to southwest China. It inhabits cool, moist montane forests and Rhododendron scrub at 1,600–3,500 m elevation, typically growing in deep humus under dense canopy shade.

This is an evergreen Calanthe with short, inconspicuous pseudobulbs. The leaves are 3–5, broadly elliptic, 15–30 cm long, plicate, and persist through winter. The inflorescence is an erect, pubescent raceme 15–30 cm tall, emerging before or with the new leaves. The flowers are 2–3 cm across, typically pale yellow to greenish-yellow, sometimes with a pinkish tinge. The lip is trilobed, the mid-lobe bifid, with raised yellow lamellae on the disc. The spur is slender, 1–1.5 cm long. Flowering in Bhutan occurs from March to May.

The collection locality at Gogona (3,400 m) in Bhutan represents the high-altitude forests of the inner valleys where C. griffithii flowers early in the spring before canopy closure. The species' relatively wide altitudinal range (1,600–3,500 m) reflects its adaptability to various forest types from warm temperate to subalpine.

Author: Paxton & Lindl. · Sources: POWO (Kew), Flora of Bhutan Vol. 3, GBIF, Pearce & Cribb: The Orchids of Bhutan (2002)

Orchideaceae

Calanthe mannii

by GP Jürgens

Hook.f.

Bhutan2014 804
Bhutan Mo-Chu 1600m, May
Bh2008 463 G724
Bhutan, Samtengang 1950m, May

Description

Calanthe mannii is a terrestrial orchid distributed across the eastern Himalayas and East Asia, from Nepal and northeast India through Bhutan, Myanmar, southern China (Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi), to Japan (Ryukyu Islands). GBIF records nearly 100 occurrences across this range. The species grows in warm to temperate broadleaved forests, often along streams and in ravines with rich humus soil, at elevations of 1,000–2,500 m.

The plant is an evergreen Calanthe producing narrow, conical pseudobulbs partially enclosed by leaf sheaths. Leaves are 3–5, elliptic-lanceolate, 20–40 cm long, plicate, with prominent veins. The inflorescence is an erect, densely many-flowered raceme 30–50 cm tall, bearing 15–30 flowers. Flowers are 2–2.5 cm across, with a distinctive colour combination: the sepals and petals are yellowish-brown to olive-green, while the lip is pale, trilobed, with the mid-lobe deeply bilobed and a prominent yellow callus. The spur is curved, 8–12 mm long. Flowering occurs from April to June.

Calanthe mannii is named after Gustav Mann (1836–1916), the German-born botanical collector who worked in northeast India. The species is distinguished from the similar C. puberula by its more densely flowered raceme and different lip morphology. Its presence in both subtropical (Mo-Chu valley, 1,600 m) and temperate zones in Bhutan indicates broad ecological tolerance.

Author: Hook.f. · Sources: POWO (Kew), Flora of Bhutan Vol. 3, GBIF, Flora of China Vol. 25, Pearce & Cribb: The Orchids of Bhutan (2002)

Orchideaceae

Calanthe plantaginea

by GP Jürgens

Lindl.

Bh2008 531 P809 1
Bhutan Chongsakha, 1900m April
Bh2008 517 G792
Bh2008 516 P791
Bhutan Chongsakha, 1900m April
Nepal 97 107 G182
Nepal 97 106 P181
Nepal Dongen 2400m April

Description

Calanthe plantaginea is one of the most widespread and conspicuous terrestrial orchids of the Himalayan montane forest zone. Its range extends from Pakistan through the entire Himalayan arc (Nepal, India, Bhutan) into Myanmar and southern China. GBIF documents over 110 occurrences. The species grows in the understory of broadleaved and mixed forests, in moist leaf litter and humus, at elevations of 1,000–3,000 m.

The plant produces reduced pseudobulbs hidden by persistent leaf sheaths. Leaves are 3–5, large, broadly elliptic, 15–40 cm long, prominently plicate, resembling plantain leaves — hence the epithet 'plantaginea'. The inflorescence is a stout, erect raceme 20–40 cm tall, bearing 10–20 showy flowers. Flowers are 3–4 cm across, the largest among Himalayan Calanthe, and range from pale pink to deep rose-pink, occasionally white. The lip is trilobed, the mid-lobe deeply bifid, with a prominent callus of 3–5 raised, yellow lamellae. The spur is slender, 1.5–2 cm long. Flowering occurs from March to May, typically before full canopy closure.

Calanthe plantaginea is arguably the most recognisable spring-flowering orchid in the Himalayan mid-altitude forests. Its large, brightly coloured flowers and broad leaves make it conspicuous even to non-specialists. It is often the first orchid to flower in the understory after winter.

Author: Lindl. · Sources: POWO (Kew), Flora of Bhutan Vol. 3, Flora of Nepal Checklist, GBIF, Pearce & Cribb: The Orchids of Bhutan (2002)

Lamiaceae

Callicarpa arborea

by GP Jürgens

Roxb.

Nepal 97 566 P1099
Nepal Sabha-Khola 550m May
Nepal 97 567 P1100
Nepal Sabha-Khola 550m May

Description

Callicarpa arborea is a tree of the Indo-Malesian tropics, distributed from the Himalayan foothills of Nepal, India, Bhutan and Bangladesh through Myanmar, Thailand, Indochina and southern China to the Malay Peninsula, the Indonesian archipelago, the Philippines and New Guinea; GBIF records nearly 1,200 occurrences. It is a characteristic component of secondary and disturbed lowland and lower-montane forest, forest margins and regrowth on cleared land, generally from near sea level to about 1,500 m. The plant photographed along the Sabha Khola in eastern Nepal at 550 m in May illustrates its occurrence in warm, humid subtropical foothill forest at the western limit of its range.

It is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree reaching 5-15 m, with young branchlets, petioles and inflorescences densely covered in a stellate, rusty- to grey-tomentose indumentum. The leaves are large, opposite, elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, 12-25 cm long, acuminate and entire, dark green and glabrescent above but conspicuously whitish- or brownish-tomentose beneath. The flowers are small and numerous, borne in dense, branched axillary cymes; the corolla is pinkish to purple, tubular with four short spreading lobes, and the four stamens are exserted. The fruit is a small globose drupe, ripening purplish to black and crowned by the persistent calyx, containing four pyrenes.

Callicarpa (now placed in Lamiaceae following the dismemberment of the traditional Verbenaceae) comprises some 140 species of pantropical and warm-temperate shrubs and trees, of which C. arborea is one of the largest and most arborescent. Its abundant insect-pollinated flowers and bird-dispersed drupes make it an effective coloniser of disturbed ground, and it is frequently encountered in successional forest. The tomentose foliage and bark have a long history of local medicinal and minor timber use across South and Southeast Asia. Widespread, common and ecologically adaptable, it is not regarded as threatened.

Author: Roxb. · Sources: POWO (Kew), GBIF, Flora of China, Flora of Bhutan, Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal, revision of Callicarpa (Lamiaceae)

Ranunculaceae

Caltha scaposa

by GP Jürgens

Hook.f. & Thomson

BhutanPG2011 448
Bhutan Ludlow-Sherriff-Trail Warrtlang-La, 4500m June
Sikkim2003 105 P143
Sikkim below Dzongri 3850m 08.2003
Nepal 2001 312 ergebnis ergebnis
Nepal (Gorkha) Kharka 3100m, May

Description

Caltha scaposa is a high-alpine marsh marigold of the Sino-Himalayan region, with records from China, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar and disjunct documentation in Korea and Mongolia; GBIF aggregates over 1,000 occurrences. It is a plant of wet alpine turf, snowmelt flushes, streamsides and moist gravelly meadows, typically between roughly 3,100 and 4,500 m. The collections illustrated span this gradient, from Warrtlang-La on the Ludlow-Sherriff trail in Bhutan at about 4,500 m in June, to the slopes below Dzongri in Sikkim near 3,850 m, and a comparatively low Gorkha station in Nepal at 3,100 m in May, where it flowers as the snow recedes.

It is a small, glabrous, somewhat fleshy perennial herb arising from a short, fibrous-rooted rhizome. The leaves are largely basal and long-petiolate, with cordate to reniform-orbicular blades bearing crenate margins and a deep cordate sinus. The flowering stem is scapose, as the epithet indicates, usually leafless and bearing a solitary terminal flower. The showy perianth consists of five to several petaloid, golden-yellow sepals, true petals being absent; the numerous stamens surround a cluster of free, sessile carpels. The fruit is an aggregate of spreading, beaked follicles dehiscing along the ventral suture.

Within Caltha, the scapose habit and solitary flower distinguish C. scaposa from the leafy-stemmed, multiflowered C. palustris group. As an obligate wetland species of the alpine zone, it indicates permanently moist soils and is pollinated chiefly by flies and early-season insects. Though locally common across a wide range and not presently considered threatened, its dependence on snowmelt hydrology makes populations sensitive to glacial retreat and altered precipitation in a warming Himalaya.

Author: Hook.f. & Thomson · Sources: POWO (Kew), GBIF, Flora of China, Flora of Bhutan, Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal, Tamura's monograph of Ranunculaceae

Campanulaceae

Campanula sylvatica

by GP Jürgens

Wall.

Bh2008 504 P773
Bhutan Chongsakha 1800m, May

Description

Campanula sylvatica Wall. is a Himalayan bellflower distributed along the temperate ranges from Pakistan and India through Nepal to Bhutan; the GBIF record of about 78 occurrences indicates a moderately frequent but regionally restricted endemic. As its epithet implies, it is a woodland and forest-margin herb of moist, shaded banks, clearings and grassy slopes in broad-leaved and mixed forest, broadly between 1500 and 3000 m. The photographed plant at Chongsakha in western Bhutan at about 1800 m, flowering in May, exemplifies its pre- to early-monsoon anthesis in the cool, humid mid-montane forest of the eastern Himalaya.

The species is an erect to ascending perennial or biennial herb with simple or sparingly branched, slender stems that are usually hispid or scabrid with stiff hairs. The leaves are alternate, ovate to lanceolate, toothed or crenate-serrate and shortly petiolate below, becoming sessile upward. The flowers are borne in a lax, leafy raceme or panicle, each nodding on a slender pedicel; the corolla is broadly campanulate, blue to violet-blue, divided to about a third into five spreading lobes, with a five-lobed calyx whose sinuses often bear reflexed appendages. The five stamens have dilated filament bases, and the inferior ovary ripens into a nodding capsule dehiscing by basal or lateral pores.

Campanula is a large, predominantly Holarctic genus, the Himalayan species forming a distinctive subtropical-to-temperate Asian element; C. sylvatica is recognised by its hispid stems and lax woodland inflorescence. It is taxonomically close to other Himalayan campanulas and has at times been confused in herbaria with allied forest taxa. As a fairly widespread endemic of relatively undisturbed forest, it is not formally assessed but may be locally affected by forest clearance; it has occasional value in rock and woodland gardens.

Author: Wall. · Sources: POWO (Kew), GBIF, Flora of Pakistan, Flora of Bhutan, Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal, Lammers — World checklist and bibliography of Campanulaceae