The Journal of Indian Botany/Volume 2/May 1921/Notes on the Distribution of Liverworts in the Western Himalayas, Ladak and Kashmir
NOTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF LIVER-
WORTS IN THE WESTERN HIMALAYAS,
LADAK AND KASHMIR.[1]
By Shiv Ram Kashyap,
Professor of Botany, Government College, Lahore.
In January last the writer published a short paper on the distribution of Liverworts in the Western Himalayas. (Journal of Indian Botany, January, 1920). It was pointed out there that the number of Liverworts decreases as we pass from the east to the west horizontally, and the same law holds good in passing vertically upwards after a certain altitude, not only in the Outer Himalayan Range but also in the Middle and the Inner Ganges. It was also mentioned that beyond the Inner Himalayas there were no Liverworts in the region visited by the writer. The valley of Kashmir was not dealt with in this connection in that paper owing to the meagreness of collections at the writer's disposal.
Since then the writer has had the opportunity of travelling through a large part of the country beyond the Himalayas and of making more satisfactory observations on the distribution of Liverworts in Kashmir than he had been able to do before this. The route followed was after crossing the Himalayas was as follows:—From the Baralacha pass through Rupshu and across the Lachalung and Taghlang la passes to Leh, and from there, after travelling along the Indus for some distance, across the Fotu la, the Namyika la and lastly the Zoji la into the Kashmir valley, and ultimately after crossing the Banihal pass into the Punjab plain again.
It is proposed to give some more, facts about the distribution of Liverworts observed during this journey.
The Outer and the Middle Himalayas.
In order to reach the Main Himalayan chain it was necessary to pass through a good deal of country already traversed by the writer on former occasions but the opportunity was taken of supplementing the observations made before. The exact path was from Dalhousie to Chamba, then up the Kavi for some distance in order to cross the Kugti pass (17,000 ft.) into Lahoul, and then up the Chenab to the Baralacha pass. The observations made before in this region were confirmed. The chief addition in the number of forms occurring near Dalhousie was the discovery of a Porella near Ranikhet where it was found covering the trunks of some trees. It was also noted that the number of Liverworts was larger below Dalhousie than actually in its neighbourhood. The forms noticed between Chhatrari and Brahmaur were: — Athalamia pinguis, Gollaniella pusilla, Grimaldia indica, Marchantia nepalcnsis, Pellia calycina, Porella (25 species), Badula sp., Frullania sp. and Plagiochila sp. Between Brahmaur and Kugti the following were met with:—Athalamia pinguis, Fegatella conica, Marchantia nepalensis, Pellia calycina, the last three going as far as the Kugti village, the last inhabited place on this side of the pass. A species of Porella was also met with a little lower down.
It will be seen therefore that there is nothing peculiar in the distribution as compared with the distribution in other parts of the Ravi valley. The forms were more numerous at higher levels up to a certain limit than at lower.
Trans-Himalayan region.
This part has been travelled by many people who collected plants during their travels but in most cases the collections were restricted to flowering plants. Very recently Stewart (5) visited this country and he has given a list of Cryptogams and Phanerogams. He does not» however, mention any Liverworts in the list.
The writer did not come across any Liverworts in Rupshu, i.e., from the Baralacha to the Tagblang la. In Ladak proper two species were met with:—Marchantia polymorpha and Plagiochasma articulatum. The first is pretty common in moist situations in many places which are comparatively low and was very abundant at Leh on the sides of drains, forming big patches. It was also fairly common at Kargil. The second was seen only at Leh and it was found forming a small patch just outside the town. The writer did not see any other Liverwort between the Baralacha on the one side and the Zoji la on the other. One would have expected more Liverworts at least just near the Zoji la owing to greater moisture but the cold probably prevents their growth.
Plagiochasma articulatum resembled the ordinary Himalayan form in all respects except that the appendages of the scales are a little broader and the line of the junction of the two successive shoots is not so well-marked. The specimens of Marchantia polymorpha are rather curious. The thallus is thin and broad as in the variety described as aquatica but the inner pores is quite different form what is described by Evans (l) or Stephani (4) and resembles the one given by Muller in the new edition of Rabenhorst's Kryptogamen-flora (3). It has four projections of the surrounding cells passing into the central space while the greater part of this space is quite empty. It differs also from the var. aquatica in that the central dark band on the dorsal surface has pores on it whereas according to Evans they are absent in this region.
It is curious to note that Stephani (4) describes a Porella (P. ovalis) from Nubra from the collections of Hooker and Thomson. A Liverwort answering to the description of this species as given by Stephani has been found by the writer in abundance in the Chenab valley but I would not have expected a foliose form in Ladak. Even thallose forms which are distinctly xerophilous are rare as I have already said.
Kashmir Valley.
The valley of Kashmir gave a surprise. From his previous visits the writer had an impression that Kashmir was not very rich in liverworts but now it can be definitely stated that the number of species and individuals is far less in Kashmir in comparison to the eastern part of the Western Himalayas. The following species were collected:— An undescribed epiphytic species of Porella in the Sind valley below Sonamarg; a slightly different form of this species was collected at Verinag; Marahantla nepalensis, Fegatella conica and Pellia calycina were all met with in the rooms round the spring at Verinag. Fimbriaria reticulata was found by the writer on a former occasion in the same part of the country, It will be seen therfore that the number is very small, and even if we add to this the species described from Kashmir by other writers the number would still be quite small. On account of the great abundance of water one would have expected a much larger number of liverworts both as regards individuals and species. It is clear therefore that the general principle stated by the writer that the number of liverworts falls in going from the east to the west horizontally holds good for Kashmir also.
Jammu State.
More forms were met with on the way from the Banihal pass to Jummuo. The following is the list:—
Banihal village:—Riccia sanguinea, Beboulia hemispherica, Pelliacalycina, Marchantia nepalensis and a Porella were met with a little lower down.
Rainsu (a little below the village):—Plagiochasma appendiculatum. Patni pass (the richest place) : — 'Marchantia nepalensis, Beboulia hemispherica, Plagiochasma appendiculatum, Athalamia jnnguis, Fimbriaria mu&suriensis, Pellia calycina, Fossombronia himalayensis, a foliose form, and Anthoccros himalaycnsis. The Fimbriaria showed a peculiarity in that the plants possessed terminal carpocephala in addition to these formed on short ventral shoots.
These forms are more like those found in other parts of the outer Himalayas to the east but of course the number is still very small. Between Dharmtal and Udhampur:—Plagiochasma appcndiculalum P. artioulatum, Grimaldia indica, Riccia himalayensis.
The lists naturally are not exhaustive but they give a fairly accurate idea of the relative number of forms mot with in the different parts.
Literature Cited.
1. Evans, A. W., The American spices Marchantia. Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences. Vol. 21, pages 201—313, March, 1917.
2 Kashyap, 8. R., Distribution of Liverworts in the Western Himalayas, Jour. Ind. Botany, January, 1920.
3. Rabenhorst's Kryptogamen—Flora Von Deutschland, Oesterreich und der Schweiz. Die Lebermoose Von Karl Muller. 1906—1911.
4. Stephani, F., Species hepaticarum.
5. Stuart, R. R., Flora of Ladak, Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 43. 1916-17.
- ↑ Read before the Indian Science Congress at Calcutta, February, 1921.