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\begin{document}

\title{Cremanthodium dibangii (Asteraceae): a new species of Himalayan
sunflower from Arunachal Pradesh, India}



\author[1]{Rahul Kumar}%
\author[1]{Jeremy Dkhar}%
\author[1]{Vikas Kumar}%
\affil[1]{CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology}%


\vspace{-1em}



  
  \date{June 18, 2024}


\begingroup
\let\center\flushleft
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\selectlanguage{english}
\begin{abstract}
Based on morphological and molecular evidence, we herein described
Cremanthodium dibangii (Asteraceae) as a new species from India. The
species was found growing in the subalpine meadows of Dibang Valley,
Arunachal Pradesh, India. A Nucleotide Basic Local Alignment Search Tool
(BLASTn) search of the nrDNA ITS region and the plastid trnC-petN
intergenic spacer sequences revealed sequence similarities to C.
stenoglossum Y.Ling \& S.W.Liu (98.88 \% identity) and C. rhodocephalum
Diels (99.62 \% identity), respectively. Further, phylogenetic tree
reconstruction of the ITS placed C. dibangii as sister to C.
stenoglossum and C. campanulatam, while the trnC-petN tree depicted C.
dibangii as a separate clade. Morphologically it is related to C.
thomsonii C.B.Clarke and C. pulchrum R.D.Good in having reniform leaves
and ligulate heads but differs from these in having size of basal leaves
size; number of stem leaves, ray florets and phyllaries; and length of
style. The diagnostic characteristics, affinities with allied taxa and
colored illustration are provided to facilitate easy identification.%
\end{abstract}%



\sloppy


\emph{Cremanthodium dibangii} \textbf{(Asteraceae): a new species of
Himalayan sunflower from Arunachal Pradesh, India}

Abstract: Based on morphological and molecular evidence, we herein
described \emph{Cremanthodium dibangii} (Asteraceae) as a new species
from India. The species was found growing in the subalpine meadows of
Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, India. A Nuceleotide Basic Local
Alignment Search Tool (BLASTn) search of the nrDNA ITS region and the
plastid trnC-petN intergenic spacer sequences revealed sequence
similarities to \emph{C. stenoglossum} Y.Ling \& S.W.Liu (98.88 \%
identity) and \emph{C. rhodocephalum} Diels (99.62 \% identity),
respectively. Further, phylogenetic tree reconstruction of the ITS
placed \emph{C. dibangii} as sister to \emph{C. stenoglossum}
and\emph{C. campanulatam} , while the trnC-petN tree depicted \emph{C.
dibangii} as a separate clade. Morphologically it is related to \emph{C.
thomsonii} C.B.Clarke and \emph{C. pulchrum} R.D.Good in having reniform
leaves and ligulate heads but differs from these in having size of basal
leaves size; numbers of stem leaves, ray florets and phyllaries; length
of style. The diagnostic characteristics, affinities with allied taxa
and colored illustration are provided to facilitate easy identification.

Keywords: \emph{Cremanthodium} , Dibang Valley, Eastern Himalaya,
Endemic, Molecular, Taxonomy

\textbf{Introduction:} \emph{Cremanthodium} Benth. (family Asteraceae)
is a Sino-Himalayan genus commonly called as `Himalayan sunflower'. It
is usually found in temperate to alpine meadows, shrubbery, and screes
at altitudes between 2400 and 5600 meters (Liu et al. 2000). About 79
species of the genus are recognized in the world (POWO 2023) of which,
17 are known to exist in India, which are mostly distributed in the
Eastern Himalayas (Singh et al. 2019, Borah et al. 2021, BSI 2023, Kumar
and Kumar 2023).

In July 2023, while exploring the Dibang valley of Arunachal Pradesh,
India for taxonomic revision of the genus \emph{Cremanthodium} , authors
found an interesting population of a taxon with green, basal reniform
leaves, 2--6 stem leaves with light yellow drooping capitula at an
elevation of between 3800 and 3900 meters. After a critical examination
of live specimens, study of dissected floral parts and relevant
literature (Clarke 1876, Good 1929, Hajra 1995, Giri et al. 1996, Liu et
al. 2000, Grierson and Springate 2001, Press et al. 2003; Liu and
Illarionova 2011, Borah et al. 2021, BSI 2023), we found that this
species is hitherto undescribed thus described here as a new species.
Molecular studies based on nrDNA ITS region and the plastid trnC-petN
intergenic spacer sequences revealed sequence similarities to \emph{C.
stenoglossum} Y.Ling \& S.W.Liu (98.88 \% identity) and \emph{C.
rhodocephalum} Diels (99.62 \% identity), respectively. Morphologically,
it is a distinct species and is allied to \emph{C. thomsonii} C.B.Clarke
and \emph{C. pulchrum} R.D.Good, but differs from them by 2--6-minute
oblanceolate stem leaves, 8 numbers of phyllaries, length style of ray
floret which is slightly shorter than half of the ray lamina. In the
present study, a detailed taxonomic description, photo-plates,
affinities based on morphological (Table) and molecular data are
provided to support taxonomic novelty.

\textbf{Materials and methods}

\textbf{Taxon sampling:} Samples were collected from Dibang Valley of
Arunachal Pradesh. Photographs of the wild population and dissected
floral parts were taken using Nikon D7500. The morphological characters
of specimens including floral parts were studied using an Olympus SZ61Tr
stereo zoom microscope. The herbarium of the species was prepared
following standard protocol and deposited at the herbarium of CSIR-IHBT,
Palampur (PLP).

\textbf{DNA extraction, amplification and sequencing of the the~nrDNA
ITS region and the plastid trnC-petN intergenic spacer:} Young healthy
leaf samples were also collected and kept in silica gel-containing
polythene bags and brought to the laboratory for DNA extraction using a
modified CTAB technique (Doyle and Doyle 1987). Polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) was used to amplify the~ITS region and
the\emph{trnC-petN} intergenic spacer using plant-specific primers
ITS-p5 and ITS-p4 as described in Cheng et al. (2016)~and primers 23F
and 25R as described in Ren et al. (2017), respectively. DNA
amplification was performed in a C1000 Touch\textsuperscript{TM} Thermal
Cycler (Biorad) using the following PCR conditions: 1 cycle for 5 min at
95 \selectlanguage{ngerman}°C, 34 cycles for 30 sec at 95\selectlanguage{english} degC, 30\selectlanguage{english} sec at 53\selectlanguage{english} degC (for ITS)/58\selectlanguage{english} degC
(for\emph{trnC-petN} ) and 1 min at 72\selectlanguage{english} degC, followed by an additional
incubation for 7\selectlanguage{english} min at 72\selectlanguage{english} degC for the 35\textsuperscript{th} cycle.
Amplified PCR products were purified using an ExoSAP-IT\selectlanguage{english} PCR Product
Cleanup Reagent kit (ThermoFisher Scientific). Sequencing PCR was
performed with the same amplification primers using the BigDye\selectlanguage{english}
Terminator v3.1 Cycle Sequencing Kit (ThermoFisher Scientific). The
products were washed with a Montage SEQ96 Sequencing Reaction Cleanup
kit (Merck) and submitted for sequencing at CSIR-IHBT, Palampur, using
the 3130xl Genetic Analyzer (Hitachi/Applied Biosystems).

\textbf{Sequence analysis using BLAST:} We accessed the NCBI
(https://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) on 2\textsuperscript{nd} December 2023
to perform a Nuceleotide Basic Local Alignment Search Tool\textbf{(}
BLASTn\textbf{)} search for each sequence generated.

\textbf{Phylogenetic relationship among \emph{Cremanthodium} species:}We
again performed a BLASTn search for each sequence generated, keeping
`\emph{Cremanthodium} Benth. (taxid:186943)' as the organism of choice.
Our search using the ITS and the \emph{trnC-petN} intergenic spacer
sequences resulted in 28 and 41 entries, respectively. Six ITS entries
showed 50 \% or lower query coverage and were excluded from the
analysis. Five entries of the \emph{trnC-petN} intergenic spacer
represent complete chloroplast genomes and were also excluded from the
analysis. Since the corresponding species of the excluded sequences are
duplicated in GenBank, removing these sequences had no effect on our
analysis.

We then used Clustal X 2.1 to align the sequences separately, including
those retrieved from GenBank. Multiple sequence alignment of the ITS
and\emph{trnC-petN} intergenic spacer yielded 628 and 822 aligned
lengths, respectively. A mutational hotspot of 45 nt in length was
removed from the aligned data matrix of the \emph{trnC-petN} intergenic
spacer. We used a neighbor-joining (NJ) method as described in Dkhar et
al. (2012) to establish phylogenetic relationship among the
\emph{Cremanthodium}species. All trees were viewed with the program
FigTree v1.4.4 available
at\emph{http://tree.bio.ed.ac.uk/software/figtree/}.

\textbf{Result and Discussion}

\textbf{Taxonomic Treatment}

\emph{Cremanthodium dibangii} \textbf{Vik. Kumar, Rahul Kumar. sp.
nov.}(Fig. 1--3).

\textbf{Diagnosis:} \emph{Cremanthodium dibangii} differs from all known
species of \emph{Cremanthodium} in having 2--6 oblanceolae stem leaves,
small capitulum, campanulate involucre, 8 ray florets and phyllaries,
style slightly shorter than half of ray lamina.

\textbf{Type:} INDIA, Arunachal Pradesh, Anini, near Kahmu-yu Lake, ca
3877 m., 22 July 2023, R. Kumar \& V. Kumar 20829 (Holotype PLP;
Isotypes: PLP, CAL).

\textbf{Paratypes} : Arunachal Pradesh, Anini, near Kahmu-yu Lake, ca
3825 m., 22 July 2023, R. Kumar \& V. Kumar 20830 (PLP, CAL).

\textbf{Description:} Perennial herb. Stem solitary, erect,10--30 cm
tall, distally green--purple, pilose, sometimes with visible
white-woolly network, proximally dark black purple or green,
glabrescent. Basal leaves reniform 0.6--1.1 x 1.2--2.5 cm, glabrous on
both sides or with a few trichomes on the margin, margin deeply crenate
with pointed tips, palmately veined, abaxially light green and adaxially
dark green; leaf base sagittate; petiole 1.5--11 cm long. Stem leaves
2--6, tiny, oblanceolate, entire 5--8 mm, purple-green, sessile.
Capitulum, solitary, nodding. Involucre campanulate, dark blackish
purple or greenish purple, glabrous or glabrescent. Phyllaries 8, in two
rows, 1--1.2 x 0.2--0.4 mm; outer phyllaries dark blackish to
purple-green, narrowly lanceolate with acuminate apex; inner phyllaries
wider, elliptic-lanceolate, apex acuminate, membranous, dark
black-purple in the middle and light greenish purple towards the
periphery. Ray floret 8, yellow; lamina oblanceolate, 1.4--2.2 cm x
0.4--0.6 mm, apex truncate trilobed, lobes ca 2 mm long, subobtuse,
veins 6--8; style slightly shorter than half of the ray floret; stigma
bifid-trifid, black or brown-black. Tubular florets numerous, 6--8 mm,
with bifid and trifid stigmas. Pappus pale yellow or light brown, more
or less equal to tubular corolla. Achene 2--3 mm.

\textbf{Etymology:} Named after Dibang Valley from where the type
specimens were collected.

\textbf{Phenology:} Fl. July to August; Fr. not seen.

\textbf{Habitat \& Ecology:} The species are found growing in subalpine
meadows in association with \emph{Rhododendron} sp. \emph{Cassiope
fastigiata} (Wall.) D.Don, \emph{Bergenia purpurascens} (Hook.f. \&
Thomson) Engl., at an elevation between 3800--3900 meters.

\textbf{Distribution:} India (Arunachal Pradesh).

\textbf{Provisional Conservation Assessment:} We found ca 30 and 150
mature individuals in two different subpopulations between 3850--3900 m
in the hilly slopes of Dibang Valley. The population is threatened by
landslides and tourism etc. However, more surveys are required to assess
its conservation status. Hence, it can be treated under the Data
Deficient (DD) category (IUCN, 2023).

\textbf{Note:} Specimen deposited at K herbarium K000102326, six
specimens are mounted on single sheet. One of the specimens, which is
small in size belongs to \emph{Cremanthodium rhodocephalum} Diels
whereas others are \emph{C. thomsonii} C.B.Clarke.

\textbf{Molecular analysis:} Sequencing of the ITS and
\emph{trnC-petN}intergenic spacer resulted in nucleotide lengths of 634
and 780, respectively. Both nucleotide sequences have been submitted to
GenBank and can be accessed under the accession numbers OR886594 and
OR885924, respectively. For the ITS sequence, the BLASTn results showed
significant sequence alignments at the top to \emph{Ligularia
duciformis} (accession no. AY458827) with 98.90 \% identity (627/634, 7
nt mismatches). On the 7\textsuperscript{th} position lie \emph{C.
stenoglossum} (accession no. MF688747) showing 98.88 \% identity
(616/623, 7 nt mismatches). For the \emph{trnC-petN} intergenic spacer,
the BLASTn results showed significant alignments at the top to the
sequence belonging to \emph{C. rhodocephalum} (accession no. KU750461)
with 99.62 \% identity (777/780, 1 nt mismatch and 2 gaps).

Because of known incongruency in the phylogenetic signals of the nrDNA
and plastid DNA data (Ren et al., 2017), separate trees were
constructed. The ITS tree placed \emph{C. dibangii} within the group
comprising \emph{C. stenoglossum} and \emph{C. campanulatam} (Fig.
4).\emph{C. dibangii} emerged as a separate clade in the
\emph{trnC-petN}tree (Fig. 5).

\textbf{TABLE 1.} Morphological comparison of \emph{Cremanthodium
dibangii} with \emph{C} . \emph{thomsonii} C.B.Clarke\emph{, C.
pulchrum}R.D.Good, \emph{C. rhodocephalum} Diels and \emph{C.
stenoglossum}Y.Ling \& S.W.Liu\selectlanguage{english}
\begin{longtable}[]{@{}llllll@{}}
\toprule
\begin{minipage}[b]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
\textbf{Characters}\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[b]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
C. dibangii\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[b]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
C. thomsonii\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[b]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
C. pulchrum\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[b]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
C. rhodocephalum\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[b]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
C. stenoglossum\strut
\end{minipage}\tabularnewline
\midrule
\endhead
\begin{minipage}[t]{0.16\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
Stem\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.16\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
distally greenish purple, glabrous or with couple of white hairs\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.16\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
distally dark purple, densely pilose\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.16\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
distally white, brown pilose\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.16\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
distally purple pubescent, sometimes branched\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.16\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
distally white floccose and shortly brown pilose\strut
\end{minipage}\tabularnewline
\begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
Basal leaves\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
reniform, abaxially light green, margin deeply crenate\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
reniform to orbicular-reniform, abaxially purple green, margin shallowly
crenate\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
reniform to ovate-cordate, abaxial side pale green, margin coarsely
dentate or slightly crenate\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
reniform or orbicular-reniform, abaxial surface purple, margin
crenate\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
orbicular reniform, abaxial surface light green, margin angular
dentate\strut
\end{minipage}\tabularnewline
\begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
Stem leaves\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
2--6, minute, oblanceolate\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
usually absent, sometimes 2--3, linear or reduced to bract\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
usually solitary, ovate-lanceolate\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
2--3, rhomboid- reniform or reduced to bract\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
distal stem leaves usually absent (bracteal and oblong when present),
proximal stem leaf solitary, smaller, broadly reniform, base
sheathed\strut
\end{minipage}\tabularnewline
\begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
Involucre\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
campanulate, glabrous or rarely with white hairs, dark purple to
greenish purple\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
hemispheric, campanulate, densely pilose or glabrescent,
greenish-purple\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
campanulate, white-brown pilose or glabrescent externally\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
hemispheric, dark purple-black, pilose\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
hemispheric, glabrous, green-purple\strut
\end{minipage}\tabularnewline
\begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
Phyllaries\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
08, in two rows; outer phyllaries narrowly lanceolate, dark blackish to
purple-green\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
10--14, in two rows, dark brown; outer phyllaries oblanceolate,
purple-green\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
10--12, in two rows, purple-black; outer phyllaries oblong or
elliptic\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
10--14, in two rows, dark purple, membranous; outer phyllaries
elliptic-oblanceolate\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
ca.12 in two rows, dark purplish-green, outer phyllaries narrowly
lanceolate\strut
\end{minipage}\tabularnewline
\begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
Ray floret\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
yellow, 8 in no., oblanceolate, 3-lobed; style slightly shorter than
half of ray lamina\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
yellow, 12--13, broadly obovate, 3--4 lobed; style longer than half of
ray lamina\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
pure white, 12--13, ovate-lanceolate, 3-lobed; style is very short (ca.
1/7\textsuperscript{th} of ray lamina)\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
light purple, 12--14, broadly oblanceolate, apex rounded or 2--3 lobed,
style longer than the half of ray lamina\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
yellow, ca. 14, linear-lanceolate, apex long acuminate, 3-lobed, style
shorter than half of ray lamina\strut
\end{minipage}\tabularnewline
\begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
Tubular florets\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
bifid and trifid,\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
bifid\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
bifid\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
bifid\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
bifid\strut
\end{minipage}\tabularnewline
\begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
Achene\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
oblong\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
cuneate-oblanceolate\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
obovoid\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
oblong or cuneate\strut
\end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[t]{0.14\columnwidth}\raggedright\strut
cylindric\strut
\end{minipage}\tabularnewline
\bottomrule
\end{longtable}

\textbf{Other material examined:}

Cremanthodium thomsonii C.B.Clarke: \textbf{INDIA} : Sikkim, 13,000 ft,
J.D. Hooker (K000102327, K000102326, P02701418, L3679856, BM000070251 ,
GH00006253, CAL); North Sikkim, on the way to Gurudongmar Lake, 4371 m.,
24 July 2022, R. Kumar \& V. Kumar 20969 (PLP); India, Sikkim, North
Sikkim, on the way to Gurudongmar Lake, 4371 m., 24 July 2022, R. Kumar
\& V. Kumar 20944 (PLP); India, Sikkim, North Sikkim, on the way to zero
point, 4710 m., 26 July 2022, R. Kumar \& V. Kumar 20991 (PLP); India,
Sikkim, North Sikkim, Katao Road, 3609m., 25 July 2022, R. Kumar \& V.
Kumar 20988 (PLP); Chumbi, 30 July 1877, Dungboo 4684 (CAL); Valley
running into Teesta from west \selectlanguage{ngerman}½ mile along Jangu, 13,500-14,000 ft, 13
July 1903, Major F.E. Younghusband s.n. (CAL); Chumbi and Phari, 07 July
1882, Dungboo s.n. (CAL); Chumbi, 13 July 1884, Dr. King's Collector 401
(CAL); Chumbi, 13 July 1884, Dr. King's Collector s.n. (CAL); Chumbi, 13
July 1884, Dr. King's Collector (CAL); \textbf{BHUTAN} : Kangla, Karchu
La, Mo Chu Watershed, 15,000 ft., 20 June 1949, F. Ludlow, G. Sherriff
\& J.H. Hicks 16583A (BM000065709); Shinabe, Me La N.E Bhutan, 14,000
ft, 13 June 1949, F.Ludlow, G. Sherriff \& J.H. Hicks 20727
(BM000065726); Upper Mangde Chu, 14,000 ft, 13 July 1949, F. Ludlow, G.
Sherriff \& J.H. Hicks 16807 (BM000065710); Rinchen Chu, Central Bhutan,
14,500 ft., 3 July 1937, Handel Mazzetti 3363 (BM000065696); Parshong,
Thimpu, 13,000 ft., 27 July 1914, R.E. Cooper, A.K Bulley. Esq. Cheshire
1974 (BM000065674).

Cremanthodium pulchrum R.D.Good: \textbf{MYANMAR} : Upper Burma, 13-1400
ft, Sept., 1925, Forrest, G., 27252 (K, E, BM, US).

Cremanthodium stenoglossum Y.Ling \& S.W.Liu:\textbf{CHINA} : Sichuan
Province, Daocheng Xian, 4500-4600 m, 1 July 1998, D.E. Boufford et al.
28040 (F); Sichuan Province, Serxu Xian, 4560-4875 m, 26 August 2005,
D.E. Boufford et al. 33525 (F); Sichuan Province, Batang Xian, 4500-4600
m, 8 August 2006, D.E. Boufford et al. 36082 (F), Sichuan Province,
Xiaojin Xian, 4230-4350 m, 29 July 2007, D.E. Boufford et al. 38589 (F).

Cremanthodium rhodocephalum Diels: \textbf{INDIA} : Arunachal Pradesh,
Tawang, Bumla Pass, 4200 m, 18 August, 2021, V. Kumar 20904 (PLP);
Tawang, Bumla Pass, 4200 m, 3 August, 2022, R. Kumar and V. Kumar 22148
(PLP); Tawang, On Way to Jaswant Garh, 3800 m, August, 2021, V. Kumar
20953 (PLP); \textbf{CHINA} : Yunnan, eastern flank of the Lichiang
Range, 11-12000 ft, August 1906, G. George 2665 (E, P); Tibet, Chosam.
Tsari., 15000 st, 14 August, 1936, Ludlow, Francis \& Sherriff, George
2040 (E), Yunnan Reg de Yunnan, 1909, \emph{Native Collector}4000 (L).

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