Viola cinerea var. stocksii (Boiss.) W. Becker Beih., Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 37 (1918). (Figures 2 and 3)

≡ Viola stocksii Boiss., Fl. Orient. [Bossier] 1: 453 (1867).

Lectotype designated here: AFGHANISTAN, Bolan river, Griffith, # 227, 1555 Affghan, K 000327741 (K!) (Figure 4)

= Viola etbaica Schweinf. Verh. K. K. Zool. -Bot. Ges. Wien 18: 665 (1868).

Lectotype designated here: SUDAN, Ssoturba-Gebirge an der Nubischen Küste. Jebel Schellal.; 22° n.b., 06 March 1865, Schweinfurth, G.A.,1702, BM000541007 (BM!) (Figure 5)

= Viola somalensis Engl., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin 1891: 308 (1892).

Lectotype designated here: SOMALIA, Mei Serrect Gebire 1800 Mud. M. Fohattige Stellen auf Kalk häufig, 05 59 15 N, 047 27 10 E, 1820 m, 1875, Hildebrandt, J. M., 1362, BM000541008 (BM!) (Figure 6)

Herbaceous, 10–25 cm high. Roots unbranched. Stem slender, 0.5–1.20 mm thick, branched from base, branches spreading, glabrous or sparingly hairy. Leaves alternate, 1.0–4.5 x 0.5–1.5 cm, spathulate, glabrous, apex acuminate or apiculate, base acuminate or attenuate, stipules 2.0–9.0 x 0.5–1.5 mm, linear-lanceolate, lower 3–4 fid. Inflorescence axillary and solitary; peduncle glabrous, 1–2 cm long; bracteoles 2, opposite, near the summit of peduncle, 4–5 x 0.1–1.0 mm, setaceous, acuminate; Pedicel 1–2.5 mm. Flowers not seen, sepals persistent, 3–4 x 0.5–1.0 mm, linear to lanceolate, glabrous, acuminate. Capsule elliptic to lanceolate, 3.5–7.0 mm long, glabrous. Seeds 12, 1–2 x 0.5–1 mm, obovoid, white or yellowish white, shining, smooth.

Phenology:—Flowering: Not seen; fruiting: November–December

Distribution:— Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Yemen and India, while in India it occurs in Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Habitat and ecology:— On river bank and hill slopes occurring at an altitude of 200 m in India.

Associated species:— In the confirmed site, the species occurs with Crotalaria orixensis Rottler ex Willdenow (1803: 2017)., Desmostachya bipinnata (L.) Stapf (1900: 632), Grewia flavescens Jussieu (1804: 91)., Pogostemon benghalensis (Burm.f.) Kuntze(1891:529), Rostellularia procumbens (L.) Nees(1847:371), Capparis decidua (Forssk.) Edgew (1862: 154).

Notes on taxonomy:— Viola cinerea var. cinerea differs from Viola cinerea var. stocksii in perennial growth form (vs annual growth form), leaves ovate to oblanceolate (vs leaves spathualte and often winged at base), leaves, stem and capsule are pubescent (vs leaves, stem, capsule glabrous) respectively.

Notes on typification:— Viola cinerea var. stocksii (Boiss.) W. Becker (1918: 37), was described by Becker based on Viola stocksii Boissier (1867) who did not indicate any type. Becker downgrade the species epithet stocksii to the varietal level. While describing V. stocksii, Boisser had not provided any details of the type material where it was housed. However, in the protologue some clues regarding collector names i.e. Griffith and Stocks and place of collection i.e. Afghanistan and Baluchistan is given. While locating the original material we came across two sheets housed at K (K000327741, K000651399), with collector name (i.e. Grifitth), collection number (# 227 along with no. 1555) and locality (Afghanistan and Baluchistan), which are hence syntypes (see Art. 40 Note 1 of the ICN, Turland et al. 2018). These two well-preserved specimens belong to the same gathering and each of them includes a flowering stem. On sheet K000651399 there are other collections (K000651398 and K000651400) also mounted, the specimens are however lacking flowers and fruits. Therefore, from these two specimens of the gathering #227 at K the best preserved specimen, i.e. K000327741, is designated here as the lectotype of the name Viola cinerea var. stocksii. The most relevant features (visible in the designated lectotype) are, subulate stipule, leaf obovate to spathulate and capsule glabrescent.

Viola etbaica Schweinfurth (1868: 665) based on the specimens collected from Soturba Mountains, Nubia, Sudan. In the protologue two specimens were mentioned, collected on 23 April, 1864 and 6 March, 1865. In order to search original material in different herbaria, we found two specimens, one housed in BM (BM000541007) whose collection date was 6 March 1865. The other specimen housed in G (G00023790) with date of collection 01 Jan 1969. The specimen housed in G has a date of collection that doesn’t match with the date of protologue, so it cannot be considered original material. The specimen housed in BM is well preserved and agreeing with protolouge i.e. sepals hairless with cracks, equal, lanceolate, long pointed, persistent sepals is mentioned in protologue, which is clearly visible in the specimen. As per Arts. 9.2 and 9.3 of the ICN (Turland et al. 2018) we here designated BM000541007 as the lectotype of the name Viola etbaica.

Viola somalensis Engler (1892: 308) was formally described by Engler (1892) on the basis of the collection of Hillderbrandt, #1362, April 1875 from Somalia. After thorough search of herbarium specimens in different herbaria we were able to locate 2 herbarium sheets, which have same collection no. and date of collection, deposited in two different herbariums, i.e. K (K000230893) and BM (BM000541008), hence these are the syntypes as per the Art. 9.6 of ICN (Turland et. al., 2018). The specimen housed in BM herbarium is better preserved and more complete than K specimen. Its characters like petioles of leaves short and densely whitish and sepals broadly lanceolate is clearly visible in the specimen, and are mentioned in the protologue. Therefore, according to the Arts. 9.3 and 9.12 of the ICN (Turland et.al. 2018) the specimen housed at BM (BM000541008) herbarium is designated here as the lectotype for the name Viola somalensis.

Specimen examined:— INDIA. Stocks, J.E. 468, (K scan!); Northwestern India Province: Panjab, Musakel (south of Kalabagh on the Indus) along the Salt range via Varcha and Choia to Gujrat, 427–762 m, 17 February 1857 to 5 March 1857, Schlagintweit (US scan!); Madhya Pradesh, Bhind district, Sankari village, 26037 ’52. 37” N, 78059 ’31. 52” E, 142 m, 22 December 2021, Vijay Wagh and Tushar Lohit 339213 (LWG!).

AFGHANISTAN. Bolan river, Griffith 227 (K scan!); Afghan, Bed of Bolan river, S.Coll. (K scan!); Griffith 1555 (K scan!).

SOMALIA. N. Somalia, Lomode-Land; Meid. Serrut-Gebinge, 1800 m, April 1873, Hilderbrandt, J.M. 1362 (K scan!); Somalia, 05ᵒ59’15” N, 47ᵒ27’10” E, 1820 m, 1875, Hildebrandt, J.M. 1362 (BM scan!); Statio Somali-Land. Meid. Serrut-Gebirge. Schattige Stellen, auf Kalk häufig. 01–30 April 1875, Hildebrandt, J.M. 1362 (L scan!).

OMAN. Dhofar 7 km along Ashinhaib to Zayk road, 17°17‘ N, 54°13‘ E, 500–1000 m, 29 August 1993, McLeish Ian 2310 (E scan!).

SAUDI ARABIA. Wadi Numan, Foot of Taif Escarpment, 3500 feet, 26 March 1991, I.S. Collenette, 7731 (E scan!).

SUDAN. Ssoturba-Gebirge an der Nubischen Küste. Jebel Schellal; 06 March, 1865, G.A. Schweinfurth, 1702 (BM scan!).

IRAN. Kerman: Montes Djamal Bariz inter Bam et Djiroft, 900 m, 8 – 10 May 1948, Rechinger, K.H. & Rechinger, F. 3726 (US scan!); Fars, Jahrum, 26 Mar 1940, Koelz, W.N. 14683 (US scan!);

YEMEN. gov. Al-Mahra, Hawf Mts, slopes below the summit escarpment, above, 16.649306 N, 52.960889 E, 820 m, 30 September 2001, N. Kilian, J. Meister & S.A. Salem Kodah, YP556, (MA scan!).

PAKISTAN. The Punjab, Jhalari, Attock Dist., April 1935, R. Stewart (US scan!).