Dear Dr Rawat
Thanks for your comments. Yes, no matter how supportive individual members are
of this group, thoseholding full-time positions must put such duties first. I
have only been able to devote the amount of timeI have in recent months due to
unusual circumstances which cannot last but consider I should try andcontribute
as best I can, whilst I can. Cannot expect to be appointed a 'Research
Associate'to study Ladakh and NW Himalayan flora, along the lines Dr Ralph
Stewart was (see below).
The vast majority of botanists holding jobs as traditional botanists in the UK
& US have botany, especially field-botany,as a hobby but they still put in long
hours at their jobs. Such jobs are few-and-far between in the UK. Posts in
herbariahave been decimated in both UK and US herbaria in recent decades. I
gave up on botanical survey work in the UK in the1980s because, at best this
consisted of short-term, summer contracts. Earnings in the UK may well be
higher than Indiabut we have a lot more taxes (local and national) to pay and
these are year-round. Yes, earning in the UK but spending inIndia meant that
my UK pounds went much further - at least in the 1980 and 1990s, when every
time I came to India, Igot more Rs to the pound.
I have had the good fortune to visit the Ann Arbor Herbarium, University of
Michigan during lecture tours inNorth America. Dr Anton 'Tony' Reznicek kindly
hosted me on both occasions, now a Professor. On the firstoccasion, back in
1986, he even drove me out to meet the late Dr Walter Koelz, who along with
Thakur RupChand assisted by local collectors amassed thousands of pressed
specimens on behalf Russian Nicholas Roerich'sUrusvati Institute, Kulu Valley
HP in the 1930s. A set of specimens went to Ann Arbor, where they languished
fordecades until Dr Stewart, upon retirement as Principal of Gordon College,
Rawalpindi, was appointed (aged 70) asResearch Associate to name (with the help
of specialists) the thousands of specimens. Funds were found (in partfrom the
USDA plus the University) for this admirable project.
Stewart was thus, for the first time, able to devote his energies, accumulated
knowledge and expertise to plants on afull-time basis. The result, amongst
other publications along with the identified, labelled and mounted specimens -
whichrepresent the BEST set of specimens of Kulu Valley and Lahoul (plus some
from Ladakh) flora I know of in anyherbarium in the world, with often quite
good accompanying field notes, was his thousand-page 'An AnnotatedCatalogue of
the Vascular Plants of Pakistan & Kashmir.
>From this, along with the large herbarium he had built up at Gordon College,
>the Flora of Pakistan Project undertook revisions,family-by-family now
>available through eFlora of Pakistan which members of this group regularly
>consult. What a pity such aCatalogue does not exist for Himachal Pradesh,
>Uttarakhand nor a full flora of India.
I think members of this group should realise ALL my studies and research on
Ladakh (and NW Himalayan) flora have beenundertaken on a VOLUNTARY basis in my
spare-time since 1980.
I have NEVER been able to secure funding for my research indeed am considerably
out-of-pocket as a result. I have no carnor even a mobile phone! Nor
comfortable pension to look forward to. Some may say, what a FOOL I have
been!
I know of no other person who would have done what I have, in any country. And
had I lived in the US or many other countries,without a National Health Service
or extensive Rail network (enabling me travel all over the country without a
car) could not havedone so.
I consider it important to mention that where I live, almost all the better
housing is owned by Indians. I have no issue with this - good luck to them.
But had I, instead of devoting so much time, for free (and paying for the
privilege out of my own, limited finances), I too could now be living in one of
those houses, owning a number of cars.
My sister, who always earned much more than I did, once exclaimed, "You have
NOTHING (by which she meant MATERIALLY) and it does not bother you". True,
compared to most people in the UK and increasingly in India I am Poorly off
FINANCIALY, but I am fortunate compared to a majority of the world's population.
In the UK one can survive as an "eccentric", which I certainly am but I still
have bills and taxes to pay. How else would our National Health Service be
funded or our generous FOREIGN AID projects be funded?
Best Wishes,
Chris Chadwell
81 Parlaunt Road
SLOUGH
SL3 8BE
UK
www.shpa.org.uk
From: D.S Rawat <[email protected]>
To: efloraofindia <[email protected]>
Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, 14 December 2016, 4:45
Subject: Re: Silene moorcroftiana
Chadwell Ji
It is up to you how you wish to contribute to eFI. We are fortunate that your
expertise is with us to help us.
Every body in this group is working selflessly and devoting as much time as one
can without harming his/her own works.
Wherever you concentrate the group will be benefited.
DSRawat Pantnagar
On Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 11:06:58 PM UTC+5:30,
[email protected] wrote:
Yes, Dr Rawat, Moorcroft's Campion inhabits 'Tibetan Borderland' districts but
Stewart recordsit as very common in Kashmir with specimens from Sonamarg, Zoji
La (which are close to Ladakh)but also Gulmarg.
He also had records from Kurram, Chitral, Swat, Astor, Baltistan, Purig, Hazara
- so very much a NW Himalayanalpine' to 'higher alpine' species as well.
There are records for S.moorcroftiana in Nepal and Tibet plus Afghanistan.
As Stewart correctly stated the Silene-Lychnis complex is complicated.
I note he had Silene cashmeriana Majumdar as Lychnis cashmeriana Royle ex
Benth, common in N.Pakistan& Kashmir @ 1500-3600m.
See: https://sites.google.com/site/ efloraofindia/species/a---l/c/
caryophyllaceae/silene/silene- cashmeriana
Yet another 'difficult' genus which requires attention (and no doubt further
revision).
At some point I hope to take a closer look at the postings for this genus on
eFI but SO MANY waiting forattention.
To cover all the genera, IN AN INITIAL/PRELIMINARY way, on the eFI site with
representatives from the Himalaya (if I worked full-time and did NOTHING else)
would take MONTHS if not YEARS.
And should I be prioritising this above LOTS of other tasks I could be doing
including compiling an up-to-date Florafor Ladakh (indeed perhaps the whole of
the NW Himalaya, most likely excluding Uttarakhand, as 'Kashmir' and'Himachal
Pradesh' territory is MORE THAN ENOUGH....
Indeed, should I begin devoting time to plants found in Uttarakhand at all or
Nepal or Sikkim?
At present, it does not seem likely that I shall be in a position to continue
contributing other than on a MUCH-REDUCEDbasis for much longer. Pity, as lots
to do and SHARE.
There are e.g. 11 Silene listed in 'Flora of Lahaul-Spiti' some of which are
new to me (and not listed by Stewart)....
Best Wishes,
Chris Chadwell
81 Parlaunt Road
SLOUGH
SL3 8BE
UK
www.shpa.org.uk
From: D.S Rawat <[email protected]>
To: efloraofindia <indiantreepix@googlegroups. com>
Cc: chrischadwell261@btinternet. com
Sent: Tuesday, 13 December 2016, 11:16
Subject: Re: Silene moorcroftiana
S.moorcroftiana seems to be a species of arid subalpines and alpines in Western
Himalaya. It is also known in Uttarakhand but rarely collected. Since I have
not visited any arid alpine zone in Uttarakhand not seen this species in
nature. There is one another species which is often wrongly identified as
S.moorcroftiana in Indian herbaria. The exact ID is yet to be ascertained of
this misidentified species.
DSRawat Pantnagar
On Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 4:17:28 PM UTC+5:30, JM Garg wrote:
Thanks, Chadwell ji---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "C CHADWELL" <chrischadwell261@btinternet. com>
Date: 13 Dec 2016 1:42 pm
Subject: Silene moorcroftiana
To: "J.M. Garg" <[email protected]>
Cc:
I am surprised that Moorcroft's Campion, honouring William Moorcroft, is not on
eFI,given how common it is in Kashmir and also Ladakh.
My team collected this during the University of Southampton Ladakh Expedition
in 1980at Rangdum, Suru Valley, 4235m, mountain slope, N-facing, stony ground,
dry sandy 'soil'with grasses. To 25cm, calyx elongated, stripped
reddish-brown, petals white with reddish-brown veins underneath. In clumps. A
duplicate pressed specimen was deposited in the herbarium at the University of
Kashmir.
The 1981 Southampton University Botanical Expedition to Zanskar found it at
Padam -occasional in dry stony soil of valley floor.
Klimes found it in dry habitats - screes, rocky crevices & walls.
Flowers of Himalaya says it is found on rocky slopes & wastelands, common in
dry areas fromAfghanistan to Central Nepal @ 2700-4500m.
Stewart recorded it as very common in the Kashmir Valley and in Ladakh @
2400-4800m.
Flora of Lahual-Spiti found this frequent on dry slopes and in rock crevices,
often forming largeclumps.
Dickore & Klimes list 10 species of Silene for Ladakh.
Stewart observed that the Lychnis-Silene complex would be a suitable Ph.D.
thesis for an ambitiousstudent. The synonymy is difficult and too many new
names have been proposed.
See: http://photos.v-d-brink.eu/ Flora-and-Fauna/Asia/Pakistan- new/i-wjg94bm
photographed in Baltistanand the previous image illustrating it growing as a
clump.
I attach an image photographed in Ladakh on my behalf scanned in from a slide.
Best Wishes,
Chris Chadwell
81 Parlaunt Road
SLOUGH
SL3 8BE
UK
www.shpa.org.uk
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