june15sk38/43 -- info on Centaurium spp.

[surajit koley]

Whom would I/we follow?

As per Haines and Prain we should have Erythraea roxburghii G. Don, the accepted name of which is -

• (as per TPL) Centaurium centaurioides (Roxb.) S.R.Rao & Hemadri
• (as per FoP) Centaurium pulchellum var. meyeri (Bunge) Omer, comb. nov.
• FoC doesn't have var. meyeri

My earlier two threads are -

1. https://groups.google.com/d/msg/indiantreepix/7CMyxCuKf3A/7pzt5gREwNUJ
   
2. https://groups.google.com/d/msg/indiantreepix/tDuVveCd8Aw/1EqhhZGy-IEJ
   

How do you differentiate Centaurium centaurioides and Centaurium pulchellum?

Thank you

Regards

surajit koley

a non-botanist member of

efloraofIndia google group

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Surajit ji.

Discussions at Centaurium pulchellum var. meyeri may be of some help.

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[surajit koley]

Garg Sir,,

Earlier the question was addressed by Dinsh Ji also and in that thread he referred a checklist (by Sunita Garg). But neither the thread nor the eFI page provides me key to differentiate between pulcehllum and  meyeri.

FoP says meyeri has white flowers but eFI and FoI has pink flowers.

However, as per Presidency University website and an ENVIS document (two entries of Centaurium) we have only Centaurium centaurioides (Roxb.) S.R.Rao & Hemadri.

Thank you

Regards

surajit koley

a non-botanist member of

efloraofIndia google group

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Surajit ji.

Pl. also see Centaurium

[D.S Rawat]

Fortunately I have access to the document- 'Revision of the family Gentianaceae of North West Himalaya' by S.Garg (1982) based on which she later published "Gentianaceae of North West Himalaya: A Revision" (Garg 1988). The document says-
After seeing plenty of dried as well as fresh specimens, only two species have been ascertained in India which also occur in North West Himalayan region.
Key to species-
Leafy, fastigiate herbs. Pedicels 2-4 mm long....................................C.pulchellum
Simple, lax herbs. Pedicels 0.9-2.5 cm long .....................................C. meyeri

DSRawat Pantnagar

[surajit koley]

There are many confusion regarding the spp. (or var.) of this genus, Garg Sir, in eFloras as well as in FBI-FI etc.

While FoC thinks Erythraea meyeri Bunge is a synonym of Centaurium pulchellum var. altaicum FoP regards Erythraea meyeri Bunge & Centaurium pulchellum var. altaica are two different taxa. Flower colour of the related taxa differs in FoC and in FoP.

The above is only one example of many contradictions and confusions. I think we simply do not have any clear KEY to differentiate those spp. or var. Sometimes we use FoP as key to identify a species and other times we use FoC!

We need to define/construct our own KEY.

It appears to me that C. pulchellum (with all its var.) have corolla tube conspicuously longer than calyx teeth while the corolla tube in C. centaurioides are equal (or sub-equal) to calyx teeth. This is my assumption only (based on illustrations and available net images from apparently reliable sources). This may be a starting point to differentiate the species when we do not have details on leaves and other features.

Thank you

Regards

surajit koley

a non-botanist member of

efloraofIndia google group