16. Potentilla polyphylla Wall. ex Lehm., Nov. Strip. Pug. 3: 13. 1831. Rev. Pot. 53. 1856, Th. Wolf in Bibl. Bot. 71: 43. 1908, Kalkman in Blumea 16 (2): 338. 1969, Tirvengadum et al., Rev. Handb. Fl. Ceyl. 3: 364. 1981, Polunin & Stainton in Flow. Him. 125 (1984), Grierson & Long in Fl. Bhutan 1 (3): 571. 1987, M. Shah & Wilcock in Willdenowia 21: 199. 1991, Dikshit & Panigrahi, l. c. 91. 1998.
Muqarrab Shah
Department of Microbiology, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan
Erect or ascending perennial herbs. Rootstock stout and woody, covered with remians of dead leaf bases. Stem 20-50 cm long with soft pilose and tomentose hairs. Leaves 10-20 imparipinnate forming rosettes at the base. Basal stipules membranous, brown, auricles linear acute acuminate, upper stipules green, generally divided. Leaflets ovate to ovate-elliptic, variable in size, 1-4 x 0.5-2.2 cm, 20-30 serrate-dentate, subadpressed pilose above and below. Flowers 4-10 arranged in panicles, pedicels up to 3 cm long, densely hairy. Calyces subequal, sparsely pilose to glabrescent, outer 3-4-fid subobtuse, inner ovate entire and acute. Petals 5-6 mm long, yellow, obovate to suborbicular. Stamens about 20. Carpels many, style small, lateral, claviform. Achenes 1-1.2 x 0.7-0.8 mm, ovoid, shiny with reddish brown lines.
Fl. Per.: June-August
Type: Gossainthan Wall. Catalogue 1026 (K) isotype (PR, CGE).
B-7 Mansehra Dist., Titri Darra Panjol, Siran Range, Hazara, 23-8-1899, Inayat (K).
Distribution: Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India (Himachal Pradesh, Utter Pradesh and W. Bengal), Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan.
A rare species being reported from Pakistan for the first time. It occurs up to 3,500 m.
It is interesting to note that collections of Potentilla polyphylla Wall. ex Lehm., basically an East Asian species, from Nepal and Himachal Pradesh (India) represented its previous north-western limit. It has not so far been reported from Kashmir. However its recent discovery in an area further west (Mansehra Dist., Pakistan) is interesting and suggests that this species may also be found in Kashmir.
