Flemingia lacei Craib (1913: 41)

Do, Truong Van & Gao, Xin-Fen, 2020, Taxonomic revision of the genus Flemingia (Leguminosae) from Indo-Chinese floristic region, Phytotaxa 429 (1), pp. 1-38 : 22

7. Flemingia lacei Craib (1913: 41) . Type:— MYANMAR. Maymyo Plateau, on stony hills, 1050 m, Lace 5956 (Holotype, CAL).

Shrubs, erect, up to 60 cm tall. Young branchlets obviously ribbed, pubescent with white hairs, subscabrid or glabrescent when old. Petiole 1.5–3.5 cm long, narrowly winged, distinctly grooved above; petiolules 2–3 mm long, densely hairy. Stipules oblong-lanceolate, ca. 1.3–1.5 cm long, ca. 5 mm wide, apex acuminate, caducous. Leaves digitately 3-foliolate; leaflets papery, subequal; terminal leaflets broadly oblong-lanceolate, 4.5–7 cm long, 2.2–3 cm wide, apex acute, base cuneate; lateral leaflets smaller, sub-orbicular, apex rounded, base obliquely cuneate; adaxial surface puberulous or glabrous, abaxial surface glandular, pubescent or ciliate on the nerves; basal veins 3, lateral veins 4–5 pairs. Inflorescence capitate, axillary or terminal, 3–4 cm in diam., solitary; inflorescence axis 1.5–2 cm long, hairy. Bracts ovate, involucre, up to 1 cm long, pubescent, ciliate at the margin and in the upper portion with white hairs; pedicel extremely short, 1–2 mm long. Calyx 1.2–1.4 cm long, tube ca. 4 mm long, pubescent, lobes lanceolate, longer than tube, densely covered with black glands, the lower one longest, ca. 1 cm long, the others shorter and sub-equal. Corolla purple, petals subequal; standard oblong, ca. 1.2–1.4 cm long, base acuminate, auricles tooth-like; wings narrowly elliptic, long clawed, one with acute auricle; keel broadly elliptic, slightly curved, wider than wings, long clawed, apex acute. Pods elliptic, 6–7 mm long, 4–5 mm diam., densely pubescent with white hairs. Seeds 1, black, oblong, ca. 2–3 mm diam.

Ecology and phenology: — Flemingia lacei grows in open forest and grassland. Flowering and fruiting from January to April.

Distribution: —Endemic to Myanmar.

Notes: — Flemingia lacei is morphologically similar to F. trifoliata (Jungh.) C.Y.Wu by sharing a capitate inflorescence, but it is distinguished from the latter by morphological characters of flower, inflorescence axis, and calyx lobes.

Representative specimens: — MYANMAR. Maymyo: A.E.English 69 (CAL); C.G.Foss 70487 & 70864 (CAL).