Muqarrab Shah

Perennial, caespitose herbs. Rootstock much divided. Flowering stems many tufted together, 5-15 cm. long, slender with thin silky hairs. Basal leaves mostly adpressed together at the base, 3-4 pinnate, petioles 8-12 mm. long, adpressed pilose. Basal stipules membranous, dark-brown, auricles ovate-lanceolate, cauline stipules leafy, entire or 2-3 divided. Leaflets 5-15 x 4-6 mm, upper surface sparsely to densely silky hairy, lower surface greyish tomentose, 2/3-3/4 divided, lobes 4-8, approximate, 1.5-2 mm. broad, obovate obtuse. Flowers 1-1.3 cm. diam, calyces densly hairy. Petals 5-6.5 mm long. Stamens 20-25. Carpels numerous, styles uniformely thickened c. 1-1.2 mm long, subterminal.

Type: Described from Pamir, June 1913, D. Bukinitch s. n. (LE).

A-8 Gilgit, Khunjrab Top c. 5,000 m, Muqarrab Shah & Jamshed 189 B (ABD), Gharesa Glacier 15,800 ft. sandy and stony grounds lateral moraine, flowers yellow, underneath of surface silvery, O. Polunin 6184 (BM), B-9 Kashmir, Depsang Plains, F. Ludlow 457 (BM), Mashoo Nullah, Leh (Ladakh) slopes left bare by melting snow, flowers yellow, F. Ludlow & G. Sherrif 8447 (E), Khyung Tso, Rupshu, in sand plain, W. Koelz 2255 (K, W).

Distribution: Tajikistan (Pamir Alai), S.W.Mongolia, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Kashmir and China (Zizang and Kunlun Shan).

A fairly common taxon in the upper drier alpine zone of N. Pakistan and Kashmir between 4,000 and 5,000 m. Th. Wolf (1908) and Juz. (1941) erroneously put Potentilla pamarica Th. Wolf in section Persicae which is characterized by trifoliate leaves with trisect terminal and bisect lateral leaflets. Potentilla pamarica has pinnate leaves with pinnatisect comb l ike leaflets and should be placed in section Pensylvanicae.