New distribution records of the leopard plants Ligularia amplexicaulis DC. and Ligularia sibirica (L.) Cass. (Asteraceae) in the Indian Himalaya

Two leopard plant taxa, Ligularia amplexicaulis DC. and L. sibirica (L.) Cass., are reported for the first time from Bandipora District of Jammu & Kashmir in India and are taxonomically enumerated. Ligularia amplexicaulis is a new record for the district Bandipora of the Kashmir Himalaya, which was previously reported in the elevation range of 2700–4800 m from the states of Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, and Sikkim in India. The specimens from Bandipora extends the geographic distribution of L. amplexicaulis in Jammu & Kashmir State, from Paddar Valley of district Kishtwar to the extreme northern range of the western Himalaya. Ligularia sibirica is reported for the first time from the Kashmir Himalaya of India and its known distribution extended to southeastern Asia. The specimens from Lidder Valley represents the first report of L. sibirica from the Kashmir Himalaya and extends its distribution range from Europe, Russia, and China to northern India. The present paper deals with the taxonomic description, phenology, ecological notes, associated vegetation components, and a note on the history of species discovery of these two leopard plant taxa. This finding also presents an updated distribution map of these two Indian species in the western Himalaya.