Indigofera thothathrii Sanjappa (1984a: 272)

Chauhan, Vibha & Pandey, Arun K., 2015, A revision of trifoliolate Indigofera (Tribe Indigofereae: Fabaceae) in India, Phytotaxa 220 (1), pp. 1-29 : 21

8. Indigofera thothathrii Sanjappa (1984a: 272) .

Type:— INDIA. Uttar Pradesh: Bharaich Dist., Nishanagara, near Forest Rest House, H. Pirson 1412, 11 September 1956 (holotype BLAT!, Isotype CAL!).

Shrub, 40–60 cm high; branches erect, striate, pubescent hairs adpressed with equal arms. Leaves pinnately trifoliolate, 3–5.5 cm long; stipules 1–2 x 0.5–1 mm, narrowly triangular, pubescent outside; petioles 1–2 cm long, canaliculate above, pubescent; stipellae 1–1.5 mm long, triangular, persistent; rachis produced up to 6 mm beyond lateral leaflets; leaflets 20–25 x 8–18 mm, obovate to obovate-oblong, cuneate to obtuse at base, rounded and mucronate at apex, sparsely adpressed pubescent and brown above, somewhat densely so and pale brown beneath. Racemes 5–10 mm long, axillary, sessile, globose, 6–8-flowered. Flowers yellowish-pink, c. 4 mm long; bracts c. 1.5 x 0.5 mm, narrowly triangular, caducous; pedicels c. 1 mm long, hairy. Calyx adpressed puberulous outside, cup c. 0.5 mm long, teeth c. 1.5 x 0.5 mm, narrowly triangular. Standard c. 3.5 x 2.5 mm long, ovate, obtuse and mucronate at apex, sparsely puberulous on the back; wing petals c. 3 x 1 mm, glabrous; keel petals c. 3.5 x 1.5–2 mm, puberulous outside, lateral spur c. 0.5 mm long. Staminal sheath 3–4 mm long; anthers c. 0.6 mm long. Ovary 2.5–3 mm long, linear, hairy on the dorsal side, up to 8-ovuled; style 1–15 mm long, glabrous. Pods 18–25 x 1.5–3 mm, pendant along side rachis, linear, subcylindrical, apiculate, slightly curved at apex, densely short adpressed white pubescent, gland-dotted when young towards the tip; sutures narrow, obscurely winged, 6–8-sceded; endocarp spotted. Seeds c. 2 x 1 mm, cylindric, truncate at ends, smooth or obscurely foveolate.

Phenology:— Fls. & Frts. September–November

Distribution:— INDIA: Assam and Uttar Pradesh; endemic.

Specimen examined:— (In addition to type collections) Upper Assam, Jenkins 47 (K).