Delphinium himalayae Munz (1968: 145)

YUAN, QIONG & YANG, QIN-ER, 2023, Taxonomic studies on the genus Delphinium (Ranunculaceae) from China (XXV): D. jilongense and D. unifolium, another two new synonyms of D. himalayae, a species mainly occurring in Nepal but also in China (southern Xizang), Phytotaxa 606 (2), pp. 119-132 : 122-128

Delphinium himalayae Munz (1968: 145) . Figs. 1–10

Type:— NEPAL. Without precise locality, 1927, C. Wigram 118 (holotype E00438677!). Fig. 6 .

= Delphinium viscosum var. sordidum Kitamura & Tamura in Kitamura (1955: 130).

Type :— NEPAL. Gorkha District, Bangn Khola, alt. 3500 m, 23 July 1953, S. Nakao 195 (holotype KYO00008216!, isotype KYO00008217!). Fig. 1 .

= Delphinium unifolium Tamura (1979: 35) , syn. nov.

Type :— NEPAL. Gorkha District, Bangn Khola, alt. 3500 m, 23 July 1953, S. Nakao 195 (holotype KYO00008216!, isotype KYO00008217!). Fig. 1 .

= Delphinium subspathulatum Wang (1979a: 612) .

Type:— CHINA. Xizang: Nyalam, Quxiang , forest margin, alt. 3800 m, 30 August 1972, Xizang Med. Plant Exped. 1652 (holotype PE00027079!, isotypes HNWP!, PE00048372!). Fig. 7 .

= Delphinium tabatae Tamura (1986: 156) .

Type :— NEPAL. Rukum District, Pelma, alt. 2760 m, 19 September 1976, H. Tabata et al. 3782 (holotype KYO00008202!, isotype KYO00008203!). Fig. 8 .

= Delphinium jilongense Wang (2020: 69) , syn. nov.

Type:— CHINA. Xizang: Gyirong , alt. 3760 m, slopes in ravine, 8 August 2010, PE Xizang Exped. 447 (holotype PE01876623!). Fig. 2A .

Description:—Perennial herbs. Stems erect, 25–80 cm tall, simple, rarely branched above middle, more or less strigose throughout, more densely so in the inflorescence. Radical leaf usually 1, long petiolate, often absent at anthesis; petiole 20–37 cm long; blade orbicular-cordate, 8–11 cm long, 9–12 cm broad, deeply 7–9-lobed to ca. 1 cm from the base, lobes further 3–5-lobuled, lobules dentate, acute, strigose on both surfaces. Cauline leaves 2–4; proximal one similar to radical leaves, middle and distal ones smaller, (3–) 5-lobed, distal one shortly petiolate. Inflorescence a terminal simple secund raceme, 5–18 cm long, often with shorter long peduncled racemes in axils of upper leaves, 2–9 flowers per raceme; rachis straight, densely retrorsely strigose; bracts linear, lanceolate or often 3-lobed, 1–1.8 cm long, strigose; pedicels 1.5–3 cm long, erect, densely retrorsely strigose; bracteoles subtending the flower, green with violetish base, oblong-linear, 8–11 mm long, 1.5–3 mm broad, strigose. Flowers 2–3 cm in diameter; sepals purplish blue, strigose, the upper sepal widely ovate, 1.6–2.2 cm long, 1.4–1.8 cm broad, obtuse, spur 2–2.5 cm long, 1.2–1.4 times as long as sepal, often suberect or slightly curved downward, apically often 2-lobed, lateral and lower sepals similar to the upper one but a little longer, 1.7–2.3 cm long; petals black, orbicular-rhombic, 1.6–1.9 cm long, 1.6–2 cm broad, obtuse, minutely pubescent on both sides, sparsely bristly at apex; staminodes black, clawed, blade ca. 9 mm long, ca. 4 mm broad, 2-sect, margins white strigose, center yellowish barbate; stamens glabrous or rarely sparsely pubescent. Carpels 3, densely strigose.

Distribution and habitat:— Delphinium himalayae is distributed in China (southern Xizang) and Nepal ( Fig. 11 ). It grows among shrubs or herbs in lower subalpine and alpine meadows at altitudes of 2300–4500 m above sea level.

Phenology:—Flowering from July to September; fruiting from September to October.

Additional specimens examined (barcodes are given when available): CHINA. Xizang: Gyirong, B.S. Li et al. 13676 (PE00467825, PE00467826), B.S. Li et al. 13742 (PE00467822, PE00467823, PE00467824), M. Tang & C. Ren 566 (IBSC), Z. Zhou et al. ZJW-3804 (KUN1275509), Z. Zhou et al. ZJW-3853 (KUN1275161); Nyalam, M. Tang & C. Ren 503 (IBSC).

NEPAL. Bajhang District, H. Ikeda et al. 20915113 (E00623892), P.R. Shakya et al. 8250 (KATH020358); Bajura District, J.E.M. Arnold 66 (BM000894727), M. Suzuki et al. 9160507 (E00835410), M. Suzuki et al. 9192302 (E00836418); Dailekh District, P.R. Shakya et al. 8436 (KATH021338); Darchula Distrcict, M.M. Amatya & P.M. Regmi 793 (KATH020288, KATH030473, KATH030478), M.M. Amatya & P.M. Regmi 849 (KATH005224, KATH030477, KATH 030483); Dhading District, D. Lichter 106 (KATH019644); Dolpa District, S. Einarsson et al. 1019 (BM), S. Einarsson et al. 2125 (BM), O. Polunin et al. 2503 (BM000894715, KATH030484), K.K. Shrestha & S.K. Ghimire 288 (KATH021324), K.K. Shrestha & S.K. Ghimire 528 (KATH021325); Gorkha District, L. Dhwoj 122 (BM000894694, E00432821), H. Ikeda et al. 20812154 (E00625392), H. Ikeda et al. 20812262 (E00774703), Olun 172 (KATH030485), B. Yon 103 (E00821024); Humla District, K.C. Madhu 1 (KATH023052, KATH023055), P.R. Shakya et al. 8742 (KATH020529, KATH020530); Jajarkot District, T.B. Shrestha & M.S. Bista 1483 (KATH093369, KATH093416); Jumla District, N.P. Manandhar & D.P. Joshi 6591 (KATH005222, KATH086113, KATH086124), N.P. Manandhar & D.P. Joshi 6650 (KATH086111, KATH093320), O. Polunin et al. 264 (BM000894713), O. Polunin et al. 4885 (BM000894714), O. Polunin et al. 5128 (BM000894717, KATH030482), O. Polunin et al. 5495 (BM), P.R. Shakya et al. 8542 (KATH021337), P.R. Shakya et al. 8547 (KATH020517, KATH020518, KATH021336, KATH030474), K. Shinozaki s.n. (KATH093376), K. Shinozaki s.n. (KATH093379); Lamjung District, K. Shinozaki s.n. (KATH093372, KATH093374); Manang District, D.G. Lowndes 1510 (BM, E), H. Ikeda et al. 20811248 (E00634686); Mugu District, N.P. Manandhar & D.P. Joshi 8027 (KATH086116), O. Polunin et al. 5128 (KATH030482), O. Polunin et al. 5290 (BM), P.R. Shakya et al. 8572 (KATH020515, KATH020516), P.R. Shakya et al. 8598 (KATH020509, KATH020510, KATH020511), P.R. Shakya et al. 8633 (KATH020512, KATH020528); Mustang District, C. Grey-Wilson & Phillips 774 (K), C. Grey-Wilson & Phillips 839 (K), T. Hoshino et al. 9670149 (E00435541, KATH025851), D.P. Joshi et al. 130/85 (KATH093381, KATH093383, KATH093384), H.J. Lange 52 (K), T.B. Shrestha & M.S. Bistha 2481 (KATH093358, KATH093360, KATH093386), T.B. Shrestha & M.S. Bistha 2490 (KATH093361, KATH093362, KATH093370, KATH093385), J.D.A. Stainton et al. 1775 (BM000894719), J.D.A. Stainton et al. 1912 (BM000894724, KATH030493), J.D.A.Stainton et al.7386 (BM000894723), J.D.A.Stainton et al.7451 (BM000894726), J.D.A.Stainton et al. 7502 (BM000894720), J.D.A. Stainton et al. 7715 (BM000894721), J.D.A. Stainton et al. 7867 (BM000894718), J.D.A. Stainton et al. 8176 (BM000894722), M.N. Subedi 26-2001 (KATH093378, KATH093380); Myagdi District, J.D.A. Stainton et al. 3688, J.D.A. Stainton et al. 4365 (BM000894712), J.D.A. Stainton et al. 6502 (BM000894716); Rasuwa District, Colom 26 (BM000894693), L. Dhwoj 8 (K), J.F. Dobremez 1090 (BM, E00821042), Durham Univ. Himalayan Exped. D238 (BM), Durham Univ. Himalayan Exped. D239 (BM, KATH028403), J. H. de Haas 2189 (BM), J. H. de Haas 2302 (BM), T. Hoshino et al. 9535175 (E00435521, KATH025849, TI), T. Hoshino et al. 9536118 (KATH025847), T. Hoshino et al. 9537078 (KATH025850, TI), T. Hoshino et al. 9539103 (KATH025943, TI), O. Polunin 555 (BM000894742), O. Polunin 1413 (BM000894697), O. Polunin 1489 (BM000894741), O. Polunin 1778 (BM000894698), T.B. Shrestha & P.R. Shakya 3739 (KATH005229), M.N. Subedi 00400300 (KATH005223, KATH030488); Sankhumwasabha District, L.W. Beer et al. 12315 (BM); Solukhumbu District, K.N. Sharma 117 (BM000894696, E00432824), O. Polunin 1095 (BM000894726).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype (A) and isotype (B) sheets of Delphinium unifolium (= D. himalayae).

FIGURE 2. Holotype sheet (A) of Delphinium jilongense (= D. himalayae) and one of the two plants on the holotype sheet when fresh (B).

FIGURE 3. Paratype sheets of Delphinium himalayae.

FIGURE 4. Paratype sheets of Delphinium himalayae.

FIGURE 5. Paratype sheets of Delphinium himalayae.

FIGURE 6. Holotype sheet of Delphinium himalayae.

FIGURE 7. Holotype (A) and isotype (B–D) sheets of Delphinium subspathulatum (= D. himalayae).

FIGURE 8. Holotype (A) and isotype (B) sheets of Delphinium tabatae (= D. himalayae).

FIGURE 9. Two collections of Delphinium himalayae from Gyirong in southern Xizang, China, B.S. Li et al. 13676 (A, B) and B.S. Li et al. 13742 (C, D), cited respectively as D. tabatae by Wang (1996, 2020) or identified as D. tabatae by him in 1992 on the determination slips.

FIGURE 10. Selected specimens of Delphinium himalayae from Nyalam (A) and Gyirong (B–K) in southern Xizang, China. A. M. Tang & C. Ren 503 (IBSC). B. M. Tang & C. Ren 566 (IBSC). C. Bracteoles. D. Petals. E. Portion of petal (outside, sparsely bristly). F. Portion of petal (inside, sparsely bristly). G. Portion of petal (outside, minutely pubescent). H. Portion of petal (inside, minutely pubescent). I. Staminodes (left: adaxial side; right: abaxial side). J. Stamens. K. Carpels.

FIGURE 11. Distribution of Delphinium himalayae (●). Black arrows indicate the paratype localities (the holotype locality unknown), the red arrow indicates the type locality of D. jilongense (= D. himalayae), the yellow arrow indicates the type locality of D. subspathulatum (= D. himalayae), the blue arrow indicates the type locality of D. tabatae (= D. himalayae), and the green arrow indicates the type locality of D. unifolium (= D. himalayae).