Geranium janakianum, Aparna Shukla & V. Wagh, 2023

Affinities of Geranium janakianum with its closely allied species

The distinctions between the newly described species and its closely allied species are summarised in Table 1 View TABLE 1 . Geranium janakianum shares its closest resemblance with G. himalayense and Geranium wlassovianum , both of which belong to the subgen. Geranium and share common features as perennials, thriving in alpine environments.

The primary closely related species of Geranium janakianum is Geranium himalayense . Geranium janakianum can be distinguished from latter by several key characteristics: stem length ranging ca. 42–84 cm long ( vs ca. 20–60 cm long), leaves pentamerous, middle segment with 7–19 lobes and a main sinus length to middle segment length ratio of 0.5–0.7 ( vs leaves reniform, middle seg. with 8–15 lobes and a main sinus length to middle segment length ratio of 0.5–0.8), stipule 10.5–15.2 mm long, apex bifid or tetrafid ( vs stipule 3.9–11 mm long, apex not splitting), petals apex rounded, basal abaxial surface sometimes with hairs ( vs petals apex slightly notched, basal abaxial surface glabrous), staminal filament deltoid or dilated, 9.5–12 mm long, occasionally abaxial surface with hairs on the basal part ( vs staminal filament lanceolate, ranging from 4–11 mm long, with a glabrous abaxial surface).

Another closely related species is Geranium wlassovianum . It can be distinguished from Geranium janakianum by several notable differences. In Geranium janakianum , the lamina is palmately partite and pentamerous with 7–19 lobes, main sinus length to middle segment length ratio of 0.5–0.7 ( vs the lamina is palmately cleft with 7–10 lobes and main sinus length to middle segment length ratio of 0.7–0.8), length of the pedicel 0.2–1.5 cm ( vs 2–6.2 cm), petals bluish-violet ( vs deep purplish magenta petals), staminal filaments base with few hairs on abaxial surface ( vs densely pilose throughout and has ciliation in the proximal half).

Geranium janakianum can also be closely related with Geranium pratense Linnaeus (1753: 681) View in CoL ; however, several distinctive features set them apart. In fact, Geranium janakianum stem lengths vary significantly, typically measures between 42–84 cm ( vs 23–150 cm long), presence of stomatal openings on all parts ( vs stomatal opening absent except leaf), leaves are palmatipartite, pentamerous, adaxial surface with sericeous eglandular hairs, abaxial surface with villous eglandular hairs ( vs polygonal, palmatisect, covered with appressed eglandular hairs on both sides), leaf segments with 7–19 lobes ( vs 10–30 lobes), petal bluish-violet, rounded shapes, slightly clawed at base, basal abaxial surface with hairs ( vs bluish, purplish, or white petals without a claw and glabrous on both surface).