Stone seed (Lithospermum arvense(L.)) from Srinagar

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Dear Members,

Am posting photos of a herb of the forget -me- not  (borage)family which I think is Lithospermum arvense(L.) Syn Buglossoides arvensis (L)  a.k.a  stone seed, field gromwel , corn gromwel . I request confirmation of I.D. The  herb was growing in a field in Srinagar and the photos were taken a few days back. It is a rather uncommon weed. It is very hairy(see photos) .It has tiny white flowers .The fruit has four brown nutlets (schizocarps) . The nutlets are triangular ovoid and with small tubercles(See photo).According to Wikipedia its seeds stored in clay pots have been found in sites dating back to 4000 B.C. Because of the high level of Omega-3 fatty acids in its seeds its commercial cultivation has been started in U.K.  it is patented  and has trade marked cultivar (Ahiflower)(A plant native to this region is finding great interest in E.U. and U.S. while most people here are unaware of its existence!). According to the Flora of China its roots yield a purple dye.

With regards

Taffazull

[taffa...@gmail.com]

The info about roots yeilding a purple dye in the above post is not from Flora Of China.

It is from elsewhere .

I regret giving the wrong reference.

Regards

Taffazull

[J.M. Garg]

It appears close to images at 
https://efloraofindia.com/2021/07/27/nonea-edgeworthii/

Looks different from images at 
https://efloraofindia.com/2012/06/18/lithospermum-arvense/

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J.M.Garg

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Dear Garg ji

Thanks for giving the correct I.D.

With sincere regards

Taffazull

[taffa...@gmail.com]

With reference to N.edgeworthii  till Oct 1971 it was reported only from Jammu from Northwest India and Kashmir(SMA Kazimi : A Revision Of The Boraginaceae of West Pakistan And Kashmir(1971), Journal of Arnold Arboretum,p675.). Jammu has a climate and topography very similar to Haryana from where also it was later reported as per your link.Thus I think my post would perhaps be the first report of its presence in the valley if the ID is correct.Would specially like Gurcharan ji's opinion as he is an expert on the flora of the valley.

Regards

Taffazull

On Thursday, December 22, 2022 at 4:01:59 PM UTC+5:30 JM Garg wrote:

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Would like to add the following info regarding the plant:

1. The above mentioned reference (S.M,A.Kazimi (1971)) and the Flora of Pakistan both describe N.edgeworthii  DC. as Annual .Lithospermum arvense L.  is also an annual.

2.In Kashmir annuals die with the first frost in late November or early December. This plant is clearly alive and kicking with the New Year just days away. So it can only be a Biennial or a Perennial.

3. To confirm I transferred it from the field to a planter so as to observe it  in  future. If it survives the transfer then with time it will be clear if it is a biennial or a perennial. In any case it can not be an annual with the New Year just days away. While transferring it I noticed that it had a thick tap root like a carrot (see photo). Since annuals do not need to store food this confirms that it must be either a biennial or a perennial.

4. The above facts show that it can not be either N.edgeworthii  DC  or L.arvense  L. Then what is it? Is it some species endemic to the valley? I would request the members to opine on the same

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Taffazull ji.

Pl. see GBIF specimen, to which it appears close. BSI Flora of india gives its distribution in J&K and Punjab. 

Another species reported in BSI flora of India is Nonea pulla  (L.) DC. (which though perennial as per Flora of Pakistan and has red or dark blue to purplish flowers) looks different as per GBIF. Also see keys in Flora of Pakistan. 

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J.M.Garg

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Dear Garg ji,

Thanks for the links

Jammu and Kashmir Valley are completely different topographically and with very different climatic conditions.Jammu is like Panjab with which it merges but Kashmir Valley is seperated from them by the Pir Panchal Range of mountains and climatically and topographically very different.SMA Kazimi whose name is mentioned on the herbarium sheet has in his 1970 paper mentioned that in Kashmir it is reported from Jammu only. BSI also mentions Jammu and Kashmir and not Kashmir valley and if the info is from 1970 paper of Kazimi then it would mean Jammu part of J and K.I would be grateful if someone would give a reference of it being reported from Kashmir Valley. Gurcharan ji has posted photos of L.arvense from Kashmir Valley but not of abovementioned plants as far as I know.

With sincere regards

Taffazull

[J.M. Garg]

There is another similar looking species i.e. Gastrocotyle hispida (Forssk.) Bunge, but it is different. Pl. see
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:941604-1
http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=93142&flora_id=5

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J.M.Garg

[J.M. Garg]

Nonea edgeworthii is also a medicinal plant as per 
https://www.isisn.org/BR17(3)2020/1996-1999-17(3)2020BR20-154.pdf

So it is also possible that it was either cultivated or may have escaped cultivation. 
  

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[J.M. Garg]

Or it has spread in that area from Jammu.

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[taffa...@gmail.com]

Dear Garg ji,

Thanks for the very interesting suggestions.

Gastrocotyle hispida is obviously very different.

An important  point  is that Flora of Pakistan mention the flowering period of N.edgeworthii  DC  as March-April however it was flowering in Nov-Dec as is clear from the photos

 Medicinal plants are not cultivated in J & K State because most people use allopathic medicines . Hakeems and Homeopaths use patented medicines imported from outside and there is very limited market for medicinal herbs.

Spread from Jammu by bird droppings etc is always possible but what I am almost certain of is that it is not an annual. If it were an annual it would have died by November or early December but so far even its leaves have not withered. Further the thick tap root suggests a biennial or a perennial . I think if the plant I have transferred to the planter thrives and flowers a careful examination of the flowers under a microscope might yield more info. It is also possible that it is some endemic species which has gone unnoticed.

Gurcharan ji who is very familiar with the flora of the valley and indeed the author of a book on Taxonomy can perhaps guide us regarding the same.

With sincere regards

Taffazull

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Taffazull ji

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Am posting magnified photo of a fruit seen through a magnifying glass to show dorsal surface ridges and what seem to be tubercles. Collar is clearly visible . Length of fruit is about 3mm.

Regards

Taffazull

[J.M. Garg]

Does it match with seeds of N.edgeworthii or not?

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I do not have photo of nutlet of N.edgeworthii  to compare with but Kazmi's paper says" nutlets slightly rugose with white spots".I am unable to see white spots.I also feel that it is somewhat more than slightly rugose.

Regards

Taffazull

[J.M. Garg]

See nutlet of Nonea caspica (Willd.) G. Don (Nutlets transversely oblong, 2.5-4 mm, dark brown to black, back rugulose, pilose, often freckled white. Basal ring 1-1.5 mm broad, ridge denticulate with 14-18 minute teeth)
http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=93138&flora_id=5

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[taffa...@gmail.com]

Flowers of this herb are white and I can not see any white spots on the nutlet which is quite clear from the photo.

If there were white spots they would be easily seen

Regards

Taffazull

[J.M. Garg]

And Flora of British India gives the following details:
Nonea pulla (L.) DC.

Lamk. et DC. Fl. Fr. iii. 626, in note ; erect, hairy, leaves oblong acute upper subamplexicaul lower petioled, calyx-lobes acuminate, corolla blackish-purple, stamens included. DC. Prodr. x. 32 ; Reichb. Ic. Fl. Germ. t. 1302, fig. 2 ; Boiss. Fl. Orient, iv. 166. N. taurica, Ledeb. Fl. Ross. iii. 112. N. Edgeworthii, A. DC. Prodr. x. 30. Lycopsis pulla, Linn. ; Jacq. Fl. Austr, ii. t. 188 ; Gaertn. Fruct, i. 327, t. 67. Anchusa pulla, Bieb. Fl. Taur. Cauc. i. 125.—Boraginearum sp., Edgw. in Hook. Journ. Bot. ii. 284.

PUNJAB PLAIN, Thomson, Edgeworth, &c.—DISTRIB. Central and E. Europe, W. Asia.

Much branched, 12-18 in., hispid and villous. Leaves 2 by 1/3 in. Racemes 2-5 in., dense ; pedicels 1/8-1/4 in. ; bracts 1 in., leaflike. Calyx 1/4 in. ; in fruit 1/2 in., the campanulate base 1/4 in. diam. ; subglobose. Corolla-tube 1/4 in., narrow ; lobes 1/6 in., half-spreading. Nutlets 1/6 in., obliquely curved inwards, slightly wrinkled, puberulous.

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J.M.Garg

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Here the corolla is white

It is definitely a Nonea as general shape of seed is just like in the sketch of capsica but details do not match.No white spots as in capsica or edgeworthii.

Regards
Taffazull

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Sorry for typo.Should be nutlet instead of seed and caspica instead of capsica

[J.M. Garg]

More details are available at 
https://ijlsci.in/ls/index.php/home/article/view/538/364

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Am posting some more images of nutlets (photo through a magnifying glass)  along with some older photos for reference:

As morphology of nutlets is characteristic of species I think  any expert familiar with the morphology of Nonea  nutlets can easily identify the species with the help of these photos. I would request any expert in India or any other country to help us regarding the same. However the following points which I have gleaned from my survey of literature available to me ( including Kazmi's landmark work available at JSTOR) would be of interest to members:

1. No member of Nonea Medicus, Philos.Bot.1:31.1789. (Genus Nonea) has been reported from Kashmir valley till date but have been reported from Jammu, Panjab and Haryana. This is the first such report from the valley.

2. The white corolla rules out N.kandharensis, N .caspica and N.pulla.

3.Collar not denticulate rules out N.edgeworthii.

4,Ridge not continued through acute apex on dorsal side ,general shape of nutlet and perhaps absence of prominent caruncle rules out N.turcomanica.

5.That the plant is thriving at the end of the year and the thick carrot like root suggests to me that it is a biennial or a perennial. This rules out all annual species.

I think this is perhaps some endemic species which has been overlooked. I am trying to grow some from seed if possible.

I would request expert opinion from members.

With regards

Taffazull

[J.M. Garg]

I think the collar is denticulate here, by seeing the 5th and 6th images.

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J.M.Garg

[J.M. Garg]

Pl. see
http://secure.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/glossaries/vascular/lmargin.html

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J.M.Garg

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Dear Garg ji,

Thanks for the comments

Regarding denticulations it could be as I have no previous experience of studying seed morphology..Wish some person with more experience in seed morphoĺogy would opine on this.

However one has also to cosider annual nature and flowering season march-april of edgeworthii.

Also I am pretty sure and hope you will agree that if the plant I posted was an annual it would have died by early Dec. Then again why should an annual store food in a carrot like tap root? Wonder if the Haryana people checked the root of their specimen.Please ask them if you happen to know any of them. It would be very helpful for us.Also if they have any photos of the seeds so that we could compare these photos with them.As they have published a paper they must have kept a record but in the article for which you kindly provided the link there is only a description of the nutlets without any photos. I presume they must have seen sketched and photographed the nutlets  before publishing..If they would post the photos here it would be easy for us to compare my photos with theirs.

With regards

Taffazull

[J.M. Garg]

The attached reference has photos showing denticulations in Nonea nutlets of different species.

Regards

Taffazull

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[taffa...@gmail.com]

The link below has an illustration of the seed of N.edgeworthii   (Credit.S.Hameed)

http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=93137&flora_id=5

This illustration clearly shows the longitudinal denticulations projecting down from the ring below the collar like the teeth of a saw. These longitudinal denticulations are clearly absent from the photos of the seeds that I have posted.After seeing this illustration I have absolutely no doubt that the herb is not edgeworthy but a hitherto unreported species endemic to Kashmir Valley.It differs from edgeworthii in not having longitudinal denticulations,flowering in Nov-Dec and not being an annual. Because of the close resembelance of its seed to the seed of N.caspica it is probably genetically more related to it than to edgeworthy. As scientists we have to accept objective evidence no matter how surprising the result

With regards

Taffazull

[J.M. Garg]

Hope you further pursue it and publish with all the evidence.

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[taffa...@gmail.com]

Dear Garg ji,

That needs a lot of botanical expertise and also perhaps the flower needs to be dissected to show faucal hairs to prove it as Nonea.I am not sure as it is not my field.However I am thankful to you for insisting that it is not Lithospermum and compliment you for not accepting the obvious.The easy solution is often a wrong solution.

With sincere regards

Taffazull

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Sorry,should have written nutlets and not seeds.The term stone seed was in my subconscious

Regards

Taffazull

[J.M. Garg]

Get in touch with Botanical persons, who are in the field of publications, from your area.

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[taffa...@gmail.com]

Dear Garg ji,

If they are really passionate about it they will get in touch with me.

If they just want a shoddy publication then I am not interested.

The posting at your site is enough.

Regards

Taffazull

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Posting  photos of in situ nutlets of the herb.

The scale in one of the photos has markings in mm.

Two of the photos have been photographed through a magnifying glass.

The most notable thing in these photos is that the white spots characteristic of the nutlets of Nonea edgeworthii A.DC. are absent.

[J.M. Garg]

Good set of images, Taffazull ji

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J.M.Garg

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Dear Garg ji,

Thanks for appreciation

Regards

Taffazull

[taffa...@gmail.com]

A Surprising fact about the calyx

Regarding the calyx Kazmi in his authoritative work writes under the heading Nonea  Medicus ,Philos .Bot.1:31.1789.:

"Calyx 5-fid , shortly or for ½ of its length, never divided to the base, enlarged in fruit.."

(SMA Kazimi : A Revision Of The Boraginaceae of West Pakistan And Kashmir(1971), Journal of Arnold Arboretum,pp670-71.). 

I had fortunately two flowers left in the plant I had transferred to the planter. I reexamined  the calyx and found it is divided to the base. This is also evident in the   fruit. (See photos).It thus seems to me that it is either a sub genus or something different. Would request the opinion of experts. Many features resemble the genus Nonea including position of anthers,  gynobasic very short style morphology and attachment of nutlet which I will put in a subsequent post.

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Taffazul ji.

But Flora of Pakistan says about Nonea edgeworthii A. DC. in DC. as 'Calyx 6-7 mm long, up to 10 mm in fruit, dense hairy; lobes linear'

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Dear Garg ji,

Thanks for the comment about FOP. Unfortunately their sketch does not show calyx. In fact they must have followed Kazimi the most towering authority there.

Need expert opinion on this

Here are more details about corolla

Corolla:

Corolla is very delicately attached to the flower and in two of them fell down as I was examining the calyx.

The corolla is approximately infundibuliform (like an inverted bell).The lobes are very small about 1-1.5 mm as is visible from the photo'

The tube has a slight sinuous bend at the bottom (See photo). As I will show in a subsequent post the style is very short and must remain in the bend. 

I speculate that this would be to avoid self pollination as the anthers are just below the throat. Indulging in further speculation one can surmise that the peculiar shape of the corolla suggests that the pollinator might be a moth or butterfly with a long proboscis which can descend to the bottom of the tube.

Regards

Taffazull

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Taffazull ji

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[taffa...@gmail.com]

Anthers
5  stamens inserted  in the corolla tube just below the throat (Three are visible in the photo). The stalk by which they  are attached(filament) is very short.

Peering from above one can see the anthers only in the intact flower. In this feature it resembles Nonea. They are brownish yellow (see photo)

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Photo of Anthers

[taffa...@gmail.com]

POLLEN

Am posting photos of pollen grains which I got by teasing the anthers on a glass slide with a pin. I managed to take the photos with a cheap "Students Microscope"  to which I have added an oil immersion lens and my entry level digital camera (Sony  DSC-W830). I think photos of pollen grains are a first for eflora

as I have never seen them before. The pollen grains are prolate(cigar shaped) with a single longitudinal furrow (sulcus) running from pole to pole (monosulcate.)

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Sorry clicked the post button inadvertently

Prolate pollen is rather unusual in Nonea sp for in a study of 8 Nonea species only one had prolate pollen grains rest had subprolate (spherical with pointed ends)(See attached table). Though  microscopic appearance of pollen grains is not diagnostic it can certainly rule out a candidate if the morphology is  different

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Taffazull ji, for great details and analysis.

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[Mahadeswara]

Great   Garg ji !  

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Dear Mahadeswara ji ,

Thanks for appreciation

Regards

Taffazull

[taffa...@gmail.com]

A photo of a herbarium specimen of N.edgeworthii A.DC. is available at gbif.org under creative commons (No Copyright) licence. This specimen has fruits a photo of which is attached below.(Attribution : "02910584.tif" - Nonea edgeworthii A.DC. collected in Pakistan. (licensed under http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/).  (see Photo2)

 

The fruits in which the calyx is enlarged clearly show a calyx in which the lobes are joined and individual lobes can only  be seen in the upper part(See photo2).

This is in accord with Kazmi's assertion for  Genus Nonea "Calyx 5-fid , shortly or for ½ of its length, never divided to the base, enlarged in fruit.."

This is as different from the calyx in the fruits of my herb as chalk from cheese. In the calyx of my herb the lobes are divided to the base.(See photo 1).

Comparision with the herbarium specimen of N.edgeworthii  A.DC. puts all doubts to rest and conclusively establishes that my herb:

1. Is not N.edgeworthii  A.DC.

2'. It does not belong to genus  Nonea as the calyx lobes are divided to the base. However based on morphology of seeds and flowers  it is closely related to Nonea Medicus .

It can be confidently asserted that it is a novel member of the Boraginaceae family of which this is the first report from the Kashmir Valley.

With regards

Taffazull

[J.M. Garg]

Ok, Taffazul ji

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[J.M. Garg]

Somehow, I am not convinced as per GBIF specimen 

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Dear Garg Ji

The fruits are cut out from the same GBIF specimen to which  you are referring !. This is the only online image available to my knowledge and  the collector is Kazimi. It is with the Smithsonian Institution and they have very kindly put it with a no copyright licence which allows cutting and pasting a particular part of the image.I cut out the branch on the extreme right hand side and attached the photo to focus on the fruits which are enclosed by the enlarged sepals that are gamosepalous with small lobes. If you look at the GIBF specimen details you will find that it is  written "Publisher: National Museum Of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution and "Record Licence..creativeco...cdomain/zero/1.0/ which if you follow the link is No Copyright licence. I think this clarifies everything. My photo is the extreme right side branch bearing fruits of the same GIBF specimen to which you are referring.

With sincere regards and thanks for your incisive comments which have helped to crystallize our problem

Taffazull

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Sorry it should be GBIF.

Sorry for the typo

Hurry makes bad curry!

Regards

Taffazull

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Am posting a sketch of a typical seed of the plant. The tubercles present on and between the ridges  are I think gland like structures that contain secretions. In  seed morphology it greatly resembles the genus Nonea  although its calyx is polysepalous  while calyx of the members of the genus Nonea  is invariably gamosepalous . It would be fitting to call it Apononea  (apo=other ). As posting these details under Stone flower is misleading I would be reposting all details in another thread to avoid confusion.

Regards

Taffazull

[taffa...@gmail.com]

Sorry it should be nutlet morphology not seed morphology.

I think I myself get confused by the term stone seed .

Regards

Taffazull

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Taffazull ji.

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[taffa...@gmail.com]

For the information of any members who happen to visit this page I would like to mention that I have named this plant as Apononea bagathii  Syed and have reposted it as the the thread "A Novel Member Of The Boraginaceae Family From The Kashmir Valley". The link for this thread is given below:

https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/5fd92323-8706-4bf0-a564-b177bb1e9436n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer

With regards

Taffazull

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Taffazul ji 

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