Shaheen sp. nov., has been described as new species to science. This taxon has been collected from Thal Desert, Punjab province, Pakistan. This species is closely associated with H. cabulicum Bunge. However, It differs from H. cabulicum in its leaf shape, inflorescence and glabrous corolla tube and bulbose base hairs. Taxonomic details of Heliotropium pakistanicum have been provided in this article.
Keywords:
pakistani flora weed; Punjab; Thal Desert
| Plant part | Character | Illustration |
| Habit | Semi-erect |
|
| Leaves shape | Lanceolate |
|
| Leaves margin, texture | Deeply undulate and Villous |
|
| Inflorescence | Forked |
|
| Corolla | Glabrous inner side (bulbose base hairs) |
|
| Anthers | Elliptic, subacute apex |
|
| Style | Filiform at tip |
|
| Ovary | Globose |
|
| Nutlets | Hairy, depression on inner side |
|
| S. No. | Heliotropium pakistanicum | Heliotropium cabulicum |
| 1 | Semi-erect herb about 60 cm high | Erect up to 40 cm |
| 2 | Stem densely Villous hairy | Stem antrorsely hairy |
| 3 | Leaves succulent | Leaves not succulent |
| 4 | Diffusely strigose hairs at the midrib and densely strigose hairs at entire leave | Scabrid with short strigose Hairs on leaves |
| 5 | Leaves linear-lanceolate or oblong | Leaves ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate |
| 6 | Inflorescence fork shape | Inflorescence |
| 7 | Sessile flower | Pedicel from 2-5 mm long |
| 6-15 flowered in each fork | 3-9-flowered in a inflorescence | |
| 8 | Petels lobes ovate-oblong | Petels lobes lanceolate |
| 9 | Anther elliptic, apex subacute and sessile | Anther elongate and subsessile |
| 10 | Style filiform | Style multifurcated |
| 11 | Ovary ovate | Ovary compressed |
| 12 | Nutlets whitish grey, depression on the inner side | Nutlets glabrous, dark brown |
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