Indigofera pedicellata Wight, 1834

Chauhan, Vibha & Pandey, Arun K., 2015, A revision of trifoliolate Indigofera (Tribe Indigofereae: Fabaceae) in India, Phytotaxa 220 (1), pp. 1-29 : 17-19

5. Indigofera pedicellata Wight &. Arn. (1834: 200). Fig. 7 .

Lectotype selected here.:— INDIA. Nilghirries, Wight 868 (Barcode E00174410 ) (holotype E!, Isotype NYBG!, GZU!). Synonym:— I. trifoliata auct. non Linn. 1756: Haung & Ohashi in Li et al., Fl. Taiwan 3: 309. 1977.

Herb, 25–35 cm high; branches slender, trailing, sometimes erect, woody, biramous hairs, brown, adpressed with equal arms, gland-dotted on younger parts. Leaves digitately trifoliolate, 1.5–3 cm long including 5–8 mm long petioles; petioles pubescent, sparsely gland-dotted; stipellae c. 1 mm long; petiolules c. 1 mm long; leaflets 12–25 x 5–10 mm, obovate, sometimes lanceolate to elliptic, obtuse at base, obtuse to acute and mucronate at apex, sparsely adpressed pubescent on both surfaces, copiously brown gland-dotted beneath. Racemes 1–2.5 cm long including c. 5 mm long peduncle, axillary, corymbose; rachis hairy, gland-dotted. Flowers brick-red, c. 5 mm long; bracts 1–1.3 x 0.5 mm, narrowly triangular, persistent; pedicels 5–8 mm long, pubescent and gland-dotted. Calyx adpressed pubescent, copiously brown gland-dotted outside, cup c. 0.5 mm long, pubescent, teeth c. 1–1.5 x 0.5 mm, narrowly triangular. Standard 4–4.5 x 3–3.5 mm, ovate-orbicular, adpressed brown pubescent and gland-dotted on the back; wing petals c. 4 x 1.5 mm, glabrous; keel petals 4–4.5 x 2–2.5 mm, brown pubescent and copiously gland-dotted outside; lateral spur 0.8–1 mm long. Staminal sheath c. 4.5 mm long, anthers c. 0.5 mm long. Ovary 1–1.5 mm long, linear, glabrous or with a few hairs; style c. 2 mm long, copiously beset with glands. Pods 15–25 x 2–3 mm, spreading, linear, subcylindric, shortly apiculate, sparsely pubescent, beset with glands towards the tip; 5–6-seeded. Seeds c. 1.5 x 1 mm, rectangular, rounded at both ends, smooth, reddish-brown.

Phenology:— Fls. July–October; Frts. September–November

Distribution:— INDIA: Tamil Nadu and Kerala hill tops; TAIWAN (Pingtung).

Habitat:— Grasslands, as an undergrowth on exposed hill slopes between 750 and 2500m.

Specimen examined:— Kerala : Idukki Dist., Dhanasvalley, P. Bhargavan 90988 ( MH) ; Kottayam Dist. , Umaiya Malai-Devicolam, 2125m, 6 August 1967, B. V. Shetty 28327 ( MH) ; Tamil Nadu : Salem Dist .; Shevaroy hills, 1470m, 17 August 1965, A. V.N. Rao 26922 ; Nilgiris , Kolakambri, 1900m, September 1835, J. S. Gamble 16830 ; Kodaikanal , 750m, 28 October 1956, P. C. Nanda 686 ; Madurai Dist. , High wavy mountains, May 1917, E. Blatter 279 ( BLAT) ; Madras , Amphills down, 800 ft, 16 July 1912, Rev. St. Munch 25 ( CAL) ; Pykarah Nilgiris , 7000ft, July 1910, A. Meeblod 11564 ( CAL) ; Madurai Dist. , Maharaja Mettu Peak, Machi hills, 1600m, 16 February 1986, K. Ravikumar 3122 ( CAL) ; Madras , High range, Travancore, R. D. Anstead 83432 ( MH) ; Nilgiri Dist. , Parson’s Valley-Ooty, 2125m, 10 July 1970, J. L. Ellis 34606 ( MH) ; Nilgiri Dist. , Pykara Swamp, 7000ft, 12 September 1930, V. Narayanaswami 4214 ( MH) ; Wadwa Dist. , High wavy mountains, 4600ft, 10 September 1925, K. C. Jacob 17679 ( MH) ; Nilgiri Dist. , Eband-Koil Betta slopes, 1725m, 10 September 1970, G. V. Subba Rao 36620 ( MH) .

Chr. No.:— n=8 ( Sanjappa & Dasgupta 1983).

Note:— There are more than one sheet named Wight 868, as the collection no. 868 is actually the catalogue no. designated by Wight in his herbarium. So, we have selected one sheet as the lectotype with specific barcode.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Indigofera pedicellata. A. Habit, B. Leaflet-adaxial surface, C. Leaflet-abaxialsurface. (Based on: Wight 655 K). Drawn by V. Chauhan.