What is Saxifraga diversifolia ?

[J.M. Garg]

Dear members,
After going through images at Saxifraga parnassifolia, I got confused after seeing the variations in images herein. 

On searching in detail, I could not find the real difference between the two and inf. being contradictory at various places.

Flora of China gives the following keys:

24 (23)	At least some cauline leaves ovate, base cordate, ± amplexicaul; sepals erect to spreading.		(25)
+	Cauline leaves narrowly elliptic, base rounded, not amplexicaul; sepals reflexed.		(26)
25 (24)	Petals to 8 mm		29 S. parnassiifolia
+	Petals at least 8 mm		28 S. sphaeradena
26 (24)	Inflorescence cymose, 2- or 3-flowered, or flower solitary; basal leaf blade 1.1-2 cm		23 S. dianxibeiensis
+	Inflorescence corymbiform, 5-17-flowered; basal leaf blade 1.5-5 cm		22 S. diversifolia

However, it looks contradictory in Plant illustrations one and two of Saxifraga diversifolia.

Here is the description of Saxifraga diversifolia from IBIS Flora from Flora of British India (could not find it for Saxifraga parnassifolia): 

Wall. in Sternb. Saxifrag. Suppl, t. 22 ; flowers corymbose rarely 3-2, sepals ovate-oblong small, cauline leaves sessile often cordate and amplexicaul, radical leaves long-petioled often large. Wall. Cat. 452 ; DC. Prodr. iv. 44 ; Hook. Lond. Journ. Bot. iv. t. 21 ; H. f. & T. in Journ. Linn. Soc. ii. 70 ; Engler Monog. Saxifrag. 125. S. parnassifolia, Wall. Cat. 451, partly ; Don in Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. 405 ; DC. Prodr. iv. 25 ; Sternb. Saxifrag. Suppl, t. 25. S. Moorcroftiana, Wall. Cat. 453 ; Sternb. Saxifrag. Suppl, t. 24. S. lysimachoides, Klotzsch in. Reis. Pr. Waldem. Bot. t. 42.
Alpine Himalaya ; from KASHMIR to BHOTAN, alt. 9000-17,000 ft., abundant.
Stems 8-18 in. high, leafy, glandular, often finally glabrous. Radical leaves long-petioled, narrowed into the petiole or (var. parnassifolia) ovate, subcordate ; cauline 1/2-2 in., ovate or broad oblong. Sepals at length reflexed. Petals with 4 stalked glands at their base, 1.1/2—2 times the sepals. Styles very short. Capsule ovate-oblong. Seeds angular, testa smooth, somewhat plaited.

Here is what Flora of China says:
Saxifraga diversifolia:
Herbs perennial, 16-43 cm tall. Stem proximally brown crisped villous or glabrous, distally shortly glandular hairy. Basal leaves with petiole 3-9 cm, abaxially and marginally brown villous; leaf blade ovate-cordate to narrowly ovate, 1.5-5 × 1.2-2.6 cm, abaxially and marginally brown pubescent, adaxially glabrous or brown pilose near base, base cordate, apex acute. Cauline leaves 8-12; petiole 0.5-4 cm, brown crisped villous; leaf blade subcordate or ovate-cordate to narrowly ovate, 1-6.3 × 0.4-4 cm, base cordate or subcordate, apex obtuse or acute; proximal leaf blades larger, abaxially and marginally brown pilose or glandular pilose, adaxially glabrous or subglabrous; distal leaf blades smaller, usually glabrous on both surfaces, glandular hairy at margin. Cyme corymbose, 3-14 cm, 5-17-flowered; pedicels 6-12 mm, glandular hairy. Sepals reflexed, narrowly to broadly ovate, 3-4.2 × 1.3-3.5 mm, abaxially glandular hairy or glabrous on both surfaces, veins 3(-5), not or partly confluent at apex, margin membranous, glandular ciliate, apex obtuse or acute, rarely erose. Petals yellow, elliptic, obovate, or ovate to narrowly so, rarely oblong, 5-8 × 2-5 mm, usually not callose, rarely 4-6-callose, (3-)5-7(-9)-veined, base narrowed into a claw 0.5-1.3 mm, apex obtuse. Stamens 4-5.6 mm. Ovary subsuperior, ovoid, 3-4.2 mm; styles 1-1.6 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct. 2n = 16, (?20).

Forests, forest margins, scrub, alpine meadows, rock crevices; 2700-4300 m. W Sichuan, SE Xizang, N Yunnan [Bhutan, Kashmir, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim].

Saxifraga diversifolia is extremely polymorphic. Many of the variants have been published as species, which are accepted as such in the present account because a very narrow species concept has been adopted in classifying the variation. However, many botanists would prefer to see rather more "lumping," and comments relating to how this might be done are made in relevant places.

Saxifraga parnassiifolia D. Don:
Saxifraga diversifolia Wallich ex Seringe var. parnassiifolia (D. Don) Seringe; 
Herbs perennial, cespitose, 11.5-24 cm tall. Stem branched, densely brown crisped glandular villous. Basal leaves with petiole 1.3-2.7 cm, crisped glandular villous; leaf blade cordate-ovate, 1.5-4 × 1.3-3 cm, crisped villous on both surfaces and at margin or glabrous adaxially, base cordate, apex acute. Cauline leaves 6 or 7, sessile, ovate to cordate, 0.9-3.5 × 0.5-2.3 cm, base cordate, semiamplexicaul, apex obtuse or acute; proximal leaves glandular villous on both surfaces and at margin or glabrous adaxially; distal leaves shortly glandular hairy on both surfaces, margin shortly glandular hairy and glandular villous. Pleiochasium 2-2.5 cm, 6-11-flowered; pedicels shortly glandular hairy. Sepals erect to spreading, ovate to broadly so, 3-4 × 1.5-2.9 mm, shortly brown glandular hairy abaxially, adaxially distally, and at margin and apex, veins 5-7, confluent into a verruca at apex. Petals yellow, obovate to broadly ovate, 5-7.9 × 3.5-4 mm, subcolumnar 4-6-callose, not or indistinctly 2- or 3-callose, 5-7-veined, base contracted into a claw 0.6-1.7 mm, apex obtuse. Stamens 2.5-4 mm. Ovary subsuperior, ovoid, 1.6-2.5 mm; styles 1-2 mm. Fl. Jul-Sep. 2n = 16.

Abies forest margins, slopes; 2700-4000 m. S Xizang (Nyalam Xian, Zayü Xian) [Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sikkim].

Saxifraga parnassiifolia var. obscuricallosa, which was accepted in FRPS, cannot be distinguished reliably because of intermediates.

Can anyone solve this mystery or give clear cut and verifiable keys between the two?

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks a lot, Rawat ji

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: GOPAL SINGH Rawat <gsra...@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2022 at 17:53
Subject: Re: What is Saxifraga diversifolia ?
To: J.M. Garg <jmg...@gmail.com>

Dear Garg ji,

Very pertinent question. Let's see what others have to say.

As indicated by Eflora of China and also Vol 1, Flora of Nepal, in S. parnassifolia the cauline leaves are more or less amplexicaule and the basal leaves resemble that of Parnassia. In S. diversifolia the cauline leaves ovate and not amplexicaule.

Earlier illustrations and photos could be mixed and include S. parnassifolia which was considered a variety of S. diversifolia for a long time.

Having said this, I need to see it more closely in the field.

Regards,

G S Rawat

 

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

[Sunit Singh]

Sir, Very interesting! 

here I'm pasting one more key, may it help you, I had never seen Saxifraga diversifolia, so don't have images of the same.

Basal leaves with truncate-cuneate base; style absent or reduced.............        S. diversifolia.

 different shape of radical and cauline leaves.

Basal leaves with cordate base; style present, conspicuous..........                    S. parnassifolia

Thanks & Regards

Sunit Singh

Research Scholar

Sender notified by Mailtrack

04/12/22, 10:30:57 PM

On Tue, Apr 12, 2022 at 2:48 PM J.M. Garg <jmg...@gmail.com> wrote:

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Sunit ji

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With regards,
J. M. Garg