Indigofera deccanensis Sanjappa (1983b: 282)

Chauhan, Vibha & Pandey, Arun K., 2015, A revision of trifoliolate Indigofera (Tribe Indigofereae: Fabaceae) in India, Phytotaxa 220 (1), pp. 1-29 : 12-13

2. Indigofera deccanensis Sanjappa (1983b: 282) Fig. 4 .

Type:— INDIA. Maharashtra: Beed district, Sautada, Wadood Khan 539 A (holotype CAL!, Isotype CAL!).

Synonym:— I. torulosa Wadood Khan in Indian For. 108: 516. 1982 non E. Meyer 1836 nec Hook. & Arn. 1838.

Shrub, 50–90 cm high, woody; branches spreading, angular, striated, biramous hairs spreading with unequal arms. Leaves pinnately trifoliolate, 3–4 cm long including 6–10 mm long petiole; stipules ca 1.5 x 0.5 mm, narrowly triangular, grey hairy outside; stipellae absent; petiolules 1 mm long, terminal petiolule 2–5 mm, pubescent; leaflets 10–25 x 6–10 mm, obovate, sometimes elliptic, obtuse at base, obtuse to rounded and mucronate at apex, strigose on both surfaces, medifixed hairs adpressed with equal arms on lower surface and with unequal arms on upper surface. Racemes 1.5–5 cm long, sessile, axillary; rachis angular, strigose, 8–10-flowered. Flowers pink or pale pink, 5–6 mm long; bracts ca 0.5 mm long, triangular, caducous; pedicels less than 1 mm long. Calyx scabrous, cup ca 0.5 mm long, teeth 1–1.5 mrn long, triangular. Standard 4.5–5.5x 2–3mm, ovate, mucronate, strigose on the back; wing petals 4–5 x 1.5–2 mm, glabrous; keel petals 4.5–5 X 1.5–2.5 mm, strigose outside, lateral spur ca 0.5 mm long. Staminal sheath 4–5 mm long; anthers ca 0.6 mm long. Ovary ca 4 mm long, sparsely hairy, 3–5-ovuled; style 1.5–2 mm long, glabrous. Pods 10–35 x 1.5–3.5 mm, spreading, straight, subtetragonous, distinctly torulose, beak ca 1 mm long, (1–) 2–5-seeded, valves spreading hairy. Seeds 1–1.5 x 1 mm, subtetragonous, ellipsoid, rounded at both ends, yellowish-brown.

Phenology:— Fls. August–September; Frts. September–December

Distribution:— INDIA: Maharashtra; endemic.

Habitat:— Slopes of hills and banks of rivers between 500– 800 m.

Specimen examined:— Maharashtra: Beed Dist., Sautada, bank of Penganga river , 18 December 1979, Wadood Khan 539B-D ( BAMU) ; Poona Dist., Katraj , August 1956, G. S. Puri 2906 ( BSI) .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Indigofera deccanensis. A. Habit, B. Pod, C. Seed. (Based on: Wadood khan 539b CAL). Drawn by V. Chauhan.