Peter C. Hoch and Peter H. Raven

Epilobium roseum Schreb. var. cylindricum (D. Don) Clarke in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 585. 1879. Epilobium beauverdianum H. LJv. in Fedde, Repert. Sp. Nov. 8: 138. 1910; Ic. Gen. Epil. t. 82. 1910. Type: Kangting ("Ta-Tsien-lou"), Szechwan, 1893, Soulie 449 (G). Epilobium christii H. LJv. in Fedde, Repert. Sp. Nov. 9: 19. 1910. Type from "Himalaya" (G, not found). Epilobium tianschanicum Pavlov in Wiss. Ber. Mosk. Staatsuniv. 2: 327. 1934; Shteinb. in Schischkin & Bobrov, Fl. URSS 15 : 591. 1949. Type: On banks near water, River Topchak-su, Khr. Talasskiy-Alatau, Tien Shan range, Russian Turkistan, 19 July 1931, Pavlov 622 (MW, holotype, not seen; LE).

Erect perennial herb, forming leafy basal soboles or loose rosettes; stems 10-105 cm tall, well-branched above, glabrescent, with raised lines decurrent from the margins of the petioles, the lines glabrous to sparsely strigillose on larger stems, stem generally strigillose on inflorescence. Leaves narrow lanceolate, 2-8 x 0.5-1.8 cm, glabrous except for strigillose hairs on margins and midvein, dense sharp serrulate, subcoriaceous, acute apex, attenuate to distinct petiole 2-7 mm long. Inflorescence erect. Flowers erect; ovaries dense strigillose or canescent, sometimes with a few glandular hairs, 2-3.5 cm long, on pedicels 0.5-1.1 cm long. Sepals 4-6 x 1.5-2 mm, dense strigillose, sometimes with admixture of glandular hairs. Petals 5.5-9 x 3.5-4.2 mm, purplish rose to pink, rarely white. Style 3-4.2 mm long. Stigma subcapitate to clavate, surrounded by anthers before anthesis. Capsules 4-7.5 cm long, on pedicels 0.2-0.8 cm long. Seeds 0.7-1.1 x 0.38-0.42 mm, narrow obovoid, papillose, with very inconspicuous chalazal collar; coma 4-5 mm, dull white, easily detaching.

Type: Sheopuri Hill, north of Katmandu, Nepal, Aug. 1821, Wallich 6328 (BM, lectotype; E; G; K; W, isolectotypes).

Epilobium cylindricum is one of the most common species of the genus in Pakistan, and with E. tibetanum (incl. E. leiospermum) and E. amurense forms one of the most difficult complexes of species in the area. Although E. cylindricum differs from E. tibetanum consistently in seed coat morphology, specimens lacking mature seeds are often difficult to identify with certainty. The group is much in need of critical examination, especially in the field. Fl. Per.: Jun-Sep. Fr. Per.: Jul-Sep; Distribution: north-eastern Afghanistan to the Tien Shan range and throughout the Himalaya to Szechwan, Yunnan and Hupeh; in Pakistan, widespread in the mountains between 2000 and 3600 m.