Decalepidanthus racemosus (Royle ex Benth.) Dickoré & Hilger 2015

Dickoré, W. Bernhard & Hilger, Hartmut H., 2015, Decalepidanthus (Boraginaceae) includes and antedates Pseudomertensia; a synopsis of the genus, Phytotaxa 226 (2), pp. 131-143 : 139

6. Decalepidanthus racemosus (Royle ex Benth.) Dickoré & Hilger , comb. nov.

Basionym:— Myosotis racemosa Royle ex Benth. in Royle (1836: 305). ≡ Anchusa racemosa (Royle ex Benth.) Candolle (1846: 50) . ≡ Mertensia racemosa (Royle ex Benth.) Clarke (1883: 171) . ≡ Pseudomertensia racemosa (Royle ex Benth.) Kazmi (1970: 379) . Syntypes:— INDIA. Himachal Pradesh: Urrukta and Choor, J.F.Royle s.n. (LIV photo!); Urrukta, 1835, J.F.Royle (K!).

= Myosotis longiflora Wall. ex Don (1837: 344) , nom. illeg., non Boeber ex Georgi (1800: 750, nomen; 1801: 260, descr.). Syntypes:— INDIA. [Himachal Pradesh] Simla, leg. 1827, S.Amherst s.n. = N.Wallich 929 a (K001110324, photo!) and [Uttarakhand] Kamaon, R.Blinkworth s.n. = N.Wallich 929 b (K001110325, photo!); N.Wallich 929. S.Amherst is the collection mentioned by Wallich in his Numerical List.

Distribution: —NW India (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand), W Nepal: outer western central Himalaya.—Map: fig. 2d.

Habitat: —Elevation (1670–)2620–2890(–3040) m, submontane–montane; in moist scrub and forest ( Quercus semecarpifolia Sm. ), apparently mostly in semi-shade, at openings or forest edges, near cliffs, on open earthy banks, among low herbs.

Notes: — Decalepidanthus racemosus is the only white-flowering species in the genus, while ‘albino forms’ seem to be rare otherwise (but see D. trollii ). Extending the farthest east and being the only Decalepidanthus species in most part of its range, D. racemosus is usually easily identifiable, though in a vegetative state it may be confused with D. moltkioides . Both species share the character of commonly retrorse trichomes on lower parts of stems and abaxial leaf-surfaces, which is otherwise unknown in the genus. They overlap geographically on the border of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Herbarium material of D. racemosus was sometimes confused with Trigonotis rotundifolia Benth. ex Clarke (1883: 172) which has a similar habit, but is blue-flowered and not rhizomatous. After flowering in spring, D. racemosus seems to develop only small vegetative rosettes, ± appressed to the ground, which probably makes it rather inconspicuous in the luxuriant post-monsoon vegetation.