Thanks, Chadwell ji. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: C CHADWELL <chrischadwell...@btinternet.com> Date: 10 December 2017 at 23:59 Subject: Images of misidentified 'Himalayan' plants on the internet: 1 - Codonopsis 'ovata' To: "J.M. Garg" <jmga...@gmail.com>
Dear Members Some of you may have noticed my WARNINGS not to rely too much on images available of species supposedly from the Himalaya on the internet. ANYONE can post an image giving the name THEY think it is - very few of these people, a significant proportion of whom have not botanical training whatsoever, let alone any expertise in plant identification. Often they either are nurserymen selling plants or commercial suppliers of seeds or just hobbyists who like to grow more unusual plants and have a web-site, which for some reason appears near the top when a search happens. Some of the nursery customers specialise in growing particular genera and thus wish to obtain EVERY known species in that genus, which influences the sellers. Whilst I do not accuse them of deliberate deception, just that they are OVER- OPTIMISTIC as to what they are offering for sale. To be fair, few reference works exist, some of which are not available to them. IF they offer a species uncommon or rare in cultivation (this does not necessarily mean it is rare in the wild), sales will be higher than listing a common species in cultivation, which the potential clients probably already has. It is difficult to earn a living running a specialist plant nursery in the UK, Europe or North America. A majority do well to "break-even", quite a number lose money. So can they be expected to question the identity of plant material which arrives from another source under an uncommon species name, which has a better prospect of selling? Similarly, much seed is circulated on a donation-basis (for free) within specialist society seed exchanges by members grown in their private gardens. Once again, the growers are often OVER-OPTIMISTIC as to what they are growing (the same weaknesses as mentioned above, apply). EVEN the items within most INDEX SEMINA (seed-lists) produced by botanic gardens are littered with misidentifications. I have certainly observed plenty of misidentified plants with the wrong labels at the WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS BOTANIC GARDENS. A further complication is hybridisation (and other changes that take place in cultivation). Quite a number of well-known genera are prone to crossing in cultivation (the more ornamental/garden worthy) will have plant breeders actively crossing them e.g. Geranium, Aquilegia, Meconopsis, Primula but there are many others, not widely-recognised as being susceptible to crossing, are. Thus many plants in cultivation are no longer the true species. Ignoring hybridisation (and other changes) my informal investigations to-date, suggest AT LEAST 50% of plants from seed-sources or plant nurseries with 'Himalayan' names, were impostors i.e. MISIDENTIFIED. *So EFI members should be very cautious, suspicious in fact, of ANY image on the* *internet. They MUST NOT decide upon a likely identification based upon such images ALONE -* *AND THEN THERE IS THE MATTER OF RELYING UPON ONLY 1 or 2 IMAGES - which* *as I have frequently explained are INSUFFICIENT anyhow......* You may be saying that this is the ONLY information we have. FALSE/INCORRECT REFERENCES ARE MISLEADING AND LEAD TO INCREASED CONFUSION. Sorry, identifying plants is not easy. *Time for some examples as supporting evidence for what I am saying:* *HOW MANY RESULTS FROM AN INTERNET SEARCH DO YOU CHECK? DO YOU GO* *BEYONG THE FIRST PAGE? ARE THE FIRST TEN THE MOST RELIABLE?* *When I type Codonopsis ovata into a search engine, the first entry is -* https://www.plant-world-seeds.com/store/view_seed_item/2666 The above is an image of *Codonopsis clematidea*. I posted images of *C.ovata* on EFI. The other consideration here is that *C.clematidea* has proven much easier to grow than *C.ovata* - THE VAST MAJORITY OF PLANTS GROWN IN CULTIVATION UNDER THE NAME *C.OVATA* are in fact *C.clematidea*. *The second entry is: http://www.pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Codonopsis+ovata <http://www.pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Codonopsis+ovata>* Also misidentified for *C.clematidea*. *The third entry is*: http://encyclopaedia.alpinegardensociety.net/ plants/Codonopsis/ovata This is correct, with line drawings and very brief (inadequate) descriptions attempting to distinguish between the two species. STILL likely to lead to continued confusion. *Fourth entry: https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Kashmir%20Bonnet%20Bellflower.html <https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Kashmir%20Bonnet%20Bellflower.html>* This looks OK. *Sixth entry: http://www.hessenhof.nl/al/c178.html <http://www.hessenhof.nl/al/c178.html>* This looks correct. *Ninth entry: http://www.hkolster.nl/home-nl/+fotobestanden/+codonopsisovata.htm <http://www.hkolster.nl/home-nl/+fotobestanden/+codonopsisovata.htm>* This is also misidentified - the images are of *C.clematidea* *Tenth entry is: https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/species/a---l/c/campanulaceae/codonopsis <https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/species/a---l/c/campanulaceae/codonopsis>* EFI - the entry improved thanks to my postings of images and comments. I have further images and comments to make about other Himalayan Codonopsis incl. *C.obtuse* As to the second page, there are further misidentifications but also some correct, the BEST entry number 15 is: http://www.codonopsisplants.co.uk/page13.html Entry 16 is a checklist of the Karakoram National Park, which lists *Codonopsis ovata/pilousula*. It is certainly possible that this species is found here - though I would need to investigate further. I suspect, even if it is, that *C.clematidea* is also found here and may be the only one. *C.obtusa* (assuming this is a separate taxon) needs checking for. *As for the suggestion of C.pilousula - leaving aside the incorrect spelling, this species is* *not found anywhere near Pakistan or anywhere near it! It is C.pilosula - which looks NOTHING like C.ovata* *or C.clematidea.... * *Unfortunately, it is not just photos on the internet which are often misidentified but* *also images in books, species listed in check-lists, printed floras of different regions/* *districts of the Indian Himalaya and now on-line data-bases - most RIDDLED with* *misidentifications. Perhaps, if I am permitted, I shall give examples of these....* *Another aspect of misidentification are the CONSERVATION considerations. It is essential for species* *to be CORRECTLY and RELIABLY identified. Otherwise attention is diverted to the WRONG species.* *Also, biochemical/medicinal studies. IF a plant being investigated in the laboratory, perhaps using up-to-* *date analyses, the resulting information can lead to confusion when PUBLISHED, should it actually be a * *different species from the one in the publication!!* *A great deal rides on a CORRECT identification.* Best Wishes, Chris Chadwell 81 Parlaunt Road <https://maps.google.com/?q=81+Parlaunt+Road%C2%A0+SLOUGH+SL3+8BE+UK&entry=gmail&source=g> SLOUGH <https://maps.google.com/?q=81+Parlaunt+Road%C2%A0+SLOUGH+SL3+8BE+UK&entry=gmail&source=g> SL3 8BE <https://maps.google.com/?q=81+Parlaunt+Road%C2%A0+SLOUGH+SL3+8BE+UK&entry=gmail&source=g> UK <https://maps.google.com/?q=81+Parlaunt+Road%C2%A0+SLOUGH+SL3+8BE+UK&entry=gmail&source=g> www.shpa.org.uk -- With regards, J.M.Garg 'Creating awareness of Indian Flora & Fauna' <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jmgarg1> Winner of Wipro-NFS Sparrow Awards 2014 for efloraofindia <https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/award-for-efloraofindia>. 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