2. Eritrichium canum (Benth. in Royle) Kitamura in Act. Phytotax. Geobot. 19:103. 1963. Riedl in Rech. f., Fl. Iran. 48:64.1967; Kazmi, l.c. 390.
YASIN J. NASIR
Perennial. Stems erect-decumbent, 25-40 cm tall, appressed hairy. Leaves both surfaces with sparse to densely appressed hairs; basal leaves petiolate; cauline and upper leaves sessile, petiolate, smaller, obtuse to acute. Inflorescence simple or branched. Bracts linear. Pedicel in fruit ± erect, pubescent. Calyx lobes c. 1 mm long, ovate, upto twice in size in fruit, pubescent. Corolla blue with yellow, lobes suborbicular, apex of throat appendages minutely pubescent or not. Nutlets 1.5-2.5 x c. 1.5 mm, surface flat to slightly concave or convex, pubescent. Margin of appendages usually irregular, 0.2-1 mm. long, united at base or not, apex glochidiate.
A polymorphic species represented in Pakistan by 4 varieties, which previously according to some authors (e.g. Kazmi, l.c.) were considered as distinct species. The characters mentioned by Kazmi (l.c.) to key-out the species show overlapping and are not clear-cut. In the present treatment a broad view is taken to include Eritrichium fruitculosum, Eritrichium patens, Eritrichium strictum and Eritrichium spathulatum. Due to ready hybridisation in the taxa involved, the characters are ill-defined. As nutlet characters are important diagnostically, fruiting material is essential.
