Dwarf rosette perennial herbs with stout woody tap-root; stemless or almost so; crowns surrounded by papery leaf remains. Leaves horizontally spreading to ascending, oblong to oblong-triangular in outline, 13-pinnate; ultimate segments ovate to linear-lanceolate, entire or 3-lobed; petioles with pale broad sheathing bases. Umbels compound, primary umbel usually sessile on the crown of the plant, secondary lateral umbels with longer peduncles and shorter rays; bracts leaf-like; rays long, spreading to ascending; umbellules small; bracteoles linear-lanceolate, entire or sparingly lobed. Calyx teeth small, triangular. Petals obovate with acute inflexed tip. Stylopodium broad and slightly flattened; styles short, diverging in fruit. Fruit oblong-ovoid, mericarps weakly 5-winged. Key to species
Keraymonia cortiformis Cauwet-Marc & Malla Plants 1020cm across, essentially glabrous. Leaves 410cm long, finely 23-pinnate; ultimate segments 23 x 0.751.5mm, linear-acute, often trifid at apex; petioles 15cm, wings often purplish, 1cm broad at base. Umbels 610-rayed; rays 215(20)cm long; umbellules 1.22cm across, pedicels 57mm; bracteoles about as long as flowers; calyx teeth pale green, 0.51mm. Petals white, 1.52mm. Stylopodium and immature fruits blackish. Fruits 34mm. Chumbi: Chomp Lhari, Tem La (1 day NE of Phari Dzong). World Distribution: C Nepal to Chumbi Valley. Ecology: Scree and alpine
turf. c 48004900m.
Illustration [Fig. 49 m-o] Specimen List [7745]
Keraymonia pinnatifolia M.F.Watson Plants to 9cm tall, mainly glabrous, leaf and bracteole margins pubescent. Leaves pinnate, 34 x 11.2cm; leaflets in 57 pairs and the odd terminal, ovate to lanceolate, 48 x 0.757mm, usually 3-toothed at apex. Primary umbel sessile on the crown, 3- to 7-rayed; rays 2.58cm, rather stout 11.3mm thick (secondary lateral umbels absent or few, pedunculate but much reduced); umbellules 1.21.8cm across, c 3040-flowered; bracteoles numerous, c 1215, obovate to oblanceolate, 79 x 1.53.5mm, equalling flowers, 3-toothed at apex; pedicels 35mm. Calyx teeth purple-black, ovate acute, to 0.75mm, unequal. Petals white, c 1.5 x 1.2mm. Stylopodium dark purple-black. Mature fruit unknown. Bhutan: CTashigang distict (Preng La). World Distribution: Apparently endemic to Bhutan, only known from the type collection. Ecology: Alpine turf. c 4000m.
Specimen List [15132] |