Flemingia semialata Roxb. ex W.T.Aiton (1832: 340)

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 : 33

20. Flemingia semialata Roxb. ex W.T.Aiton (1832: 340) . Flemingia congesta var. semialata (Roxb.) Baker (1879: 229) . Lectotype

(designated by Gavade et al. 2016):— INDIA. W.Roxburgh s.n. (K-001121982!, isolectotype, BR-0000005172992!)

Flemingia semialata var. viridis Kurz (1876: 261) . Type:— INDIA. Wall.Cat. 5746D (Holotype, G-00365321!).

Shrubs, erect, 1–2 m tall. Branchlets angular, densely grey hair. Petiole 4–8 cm long, narrowly winged, glabrescent. Stipules linear, 1–1.2 cm long, caducous. Leaves digitately 3-foliolate, leaflets subequal, leaf blade lanceolate, 12–15 cm long, 4–5 cm wide, thinly leathery, both leaf surfaces glabrous or almost glabrous except for veins, minutely gland dotted on abaxially, base cuneate to rounded, slightly obliquely, apex acute to acuminate; basal veins three, lateral veins pinnate, 4–5 pairs, flattened on abaxial surface. Inflorescence racemose, terminal or axillary, branched racemes, sometimes compound; inflorescence axes 10–15 cm long, exceeding the petiole, hairy; bract ovate, 4–5 mm long, ca. 3 mm diam, apex acuminate, densely grey-silky, caducous. Flowers in rather laxer racemes; pedicel 3–4 mm long, hairy. Calyx 6–7 mm long, pubescent; calyx lobes narrowly linear, much longer than tube. Corolla purple, 7–8 mm long, equalling to the calyx or slightly longer than calyx; standard orbicular with pink lines; wings narrower than keels. Pods oblong to elliptic, 10–12 mm long, ca. 5 mm diam., sparsely pubescent, inflated. Seeds 2, dark-brown or back, suborbicular, shining.

Iconography citation: — Roxburgh (1819: 249), t. 249.

Ecology and phenology: —It is growing in open forests on dry and sandy soil or along roadsides. Flowering starts from September to December, fruting is from November to Junuary.

Distribution: — Myanmar, new to China and Vietnam.

Notes: —The specimens of Flemingia semialata at the Vietnamese and Chinese herbaria ( Figures 11 & 12 ) was usually found misidentified as F. macrophylla . The former is, however, cleary different from the latter by the morphological characters of petiole (winged vs. grooved, not winged), inflorescence (axillary and terminal vs. axillary only), inflorescence axis (exceeding the petiole vs. shorter than petiole), calyx lobe (narrowly linear, much longer than tube vs. lanceolate, equalling to tube), corrolla (equalling to or slightly longer than calyx vs. much longer than calyx). Therefore, Flemingia semialata is new report for Vietnam and China.

Representative specimens: — MYANMAR. Pome: Wall.Cat. 5746 (K-001121986). Tavoy : W.Gomez 5746 (K-001121985) . CHINA. Kwangsi: Lungcan, Lam Uk Tung, S.K.Lau 4565 (IBSC-0179848) ; Sunto, Tai Chung, W.T. Tsang 22932 (IBSC-0179847) ; Longjin, Daqingshan, Z. Wei 11889 (IBSC-0179737). Guangdong: Shenzhen, Wutong, Shenzhen expedition 1498 (PE-01449085) ; Gaoyao, Team 2925 (PE-00379675); Lianping, Shangping, Guangdong Expedition 7301457 (CDBI-0058773) ; Taishan, Datundong, Niuwei, J.L. Zuo 22307 (PE-0179699). Yunnan: Xishuangbanna, Mengla, Mandala , Investigation Team 34817 (PE-019277) ; Shunning, Wenkuankai, T.T.Y 17610 (PE-00379721); D.Tao 792101 (KUN-0612042); Z.F.Wei 121565 (KUN-0612191); Houyi, Shangtai, s.coll. 123 (KUN-0612019); Wenkuankai, D.Yu 17610 (KUN-0612075); Sino-Soviet Invest. Team 3590 (KUN-0612138); S.S.Zhou 2886 (HITBC-0012922) ( Figure 11 ). VIETNAM. Ha Giang: Dong Van, s.col. K89 (HN) ( Figure 13 ) ; Quan Ba, Tung Vai, D.C. Thach 154 (HN). Cao Bang: Tra Linh, N.D. Khoi 05376 (HN). Ninh Binh: Cuc Phuong, N.D. Khoi 075, 789 (HN), Quy 1056 (HN) .

Figures

FIGURE 11. Flemingia semialata, a new record for China (Zhou 2886 at HITBC-0012922).

FIGURE 12. Flemingia semialata, a new record for Vietnam (s.col. K89 at HN).

FIGURE 13. Flemingia mengpengensis, a new record for Myanmar (Mu et al. 39 at NY-02648567).