Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Plant Identification => Plant Identification Questions and Answers => Topic started by: alanelliott on January 08, 2013, 02:08:47 PM

Title: Unknown ranunculaceae
Post by: alanelliott on January 08, 2013, 02:08:47 PM

Hello this has stumped me good. I am going to try a bit of crowd sourcing on this one.

It was collected in Nepal last summer as part of the Darchula trip, c. 2400m steep open grassy hillside, low grazing pressure, NE aspect. 

I think it might be a Thalictrum but does not  key out using Flora of Pakistan or Bhutan. Flora of China keys to somewhere near Thalictrum virgatum and T. alpinum. Although it is clearly neither. It does not match any specimen from the Himalaya we have in the herbarium at Edinburgh.

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I'm going to do some DNA work on it to see where it comes out in the grand scheme of things but until then if any one has a suggestion or two it would be more than appreciated.

Cheers
Al

Title: Re: Unknown ranunculaceae
Post by: Afloden on January 08, 2013, 05:30:36 PM

I would suggest Dichocarpum. See FOC, but not sure if it will include any species that might be present in Nepal. (looks like all the Chinese species are endemic, but they do mention N India and Nepal has at least one species.

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=109905 (http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=109905)

Title: Re: Unknown ranunculaceae
Post by: julian on January 08, 2013, 07:01:28 PM

Certainly looks more like a Dichocarpum than a Thalictrum to me. How about D. adiantifolium?

Title: Re: Unknown ranunculaceae
Post by: alanelliott on January 09, 2013, 01:30:11 PM

Thanks for the suggestions!

I've been working on the specimen all morning. It may well be a Dichocarpum/Isopyrum.

Again the specimen from Nepal really does not look much like any of the specimens we hold in Edinburgh. The foliage is wrong for D. adiantifolium.

My major hesitation is that it has too too many carpels for Dichocarpum/Isopyrum based on descriptions of other species (a reason why it keyed to Thalictrum virgatum perviously). 

It really is a bit of a mystery.

I'll keep you posted.

Title: Re: Unknown ranunculaceae
Post by: Maggi Young on January 09, 2013, 01:36:18 PM

It should only have two carpels for a Dichocarpum? Is that right?
Any chance it is a hybrid?

Title: Re: Unknown ranunculaceae
Post by: alanelliott on January 09, 2013, 02:28:30 PM

Quote from: Maggi Young on January 09, 2013, 01:36:18 PM

It should only have two carpels for a Dichocarpum? Is that right?
Any chance it is a hybrid?

Thats my understanding Maggi - 2 for Dichocarpum and upto 5 for Isopyrum.
A hybrid crossed my mind as well but there was no other Ranunculaceae growing particularly close. I hope the DNA will shed some light on it.