Corresponding author: Arun K. Pandey (
Academic editor: P. Herendeen
A new species,
Gholami A, Pandey AK (2016)
The genus
The genus
During the taxonomic revision of the genus
The overall morphology of the new species was examined by stereobinocular microscope (SMZ 1000). For morphological comparisons, we consulted herbarium specimens kept in different herbaria in India (
Differences between
Characters |
|
|
|
---|---|---|---|
Stem | Densely covered with long hairs | Densely covered with long hairs | Glabrous or sparsely covered with short hairs |
Leaves | Unifoliolate | Unifoliolate mixed with trifoliolate | Unifoliolate |
Leaflet shape | Ovate to orbicular | Orbicular | Ovate at base, lanceolate in the upper part |
Leaflet size | 10–50 × 5–40 mm | 5–20 × 5–20 mm | 20–60 × 10–20 mm |
Inflorescence | 50–150 mm long | 30–40 mm long | 50–150 mm long |
Pedicel | 2–5 mm long, filiform | 1–3 mm long, thick | 1–2 mm long, thick |
Calyx | 3–5 mm long | 1–3 mm long | 4–6 mm long |
Pod size | 15–20 × 2–3 mm | 10–15 × 2–3 mm | 15–20 × 2–3 mm |
Pod joints | 5–7 joints, longer than broad | 3–5 joints, broader than long | 5–8 joints, longer than broad |
Pod septa | Present, easily separable | Present, not easily separable | Septa absent |
Spermoderm | Rugulate | Rugulate | Foveo-rugulate |
For SEM study, mature seeds were mounted on aluminum stubs with double adhesive tape and sputter-coated with gold palladium in a JFC-1600 Autofine coater, JEOL, Japan sputter coating unit. Samples were examined using a Scanning Electron Microscope JSM-6610LV, JEOL, Japan, at the Department of Botany,
Diagnostic characters for
INDIA. Maharashtra: Sinhgarh,
Annual, prostrate to procumbent, profusely branched, slender, 30–50 cm long, stem densely covered with long hairs.Stipules triangular to linear, scarious, acute striate, 3–7 mm long, glabrous with ciliate margins. Petiole 5–6 mm, hairy. Leaflets ovate to oval, 15–35 × 5–20 mm, apex rounded to mucronulate, both surfaces hairy though the density of hair on lower surface is more. Inflorescence axillary or terminal, 50–150 mm long, lax with stiff hairs. Flowers in pairs, 2–3 pairs along each rachis, subtended by deciduous bract and secondary bracts; pedicels 3–5 mm long. Bracts rounded to ovate, 3–4 mm long, acute, ciliate at margins with long hairs; secondary bracts 1–3 mm long, lanceolate to triangular, ciliate at margins with long hairs. Calyx much shorter than the first joint of the pod; 2–3 mm long, tube very short, c. 1 mm long, lobes acute, not imbricated, ciliate all over. Standard petal light pink, 2–3 mm long, emarginated at apex; wing petals dark pink, 3–3.5 mm long; keel petal boat-shaped, bent and folded, c. 3 mm long. Stamens diadelphous, 2–3 mm long. Ovary 1.5–3 mm long, pubescent. Pods cylindrical, 15–20 mm long, 1.5–2 mm broad, compressed, 5–7 jointed, clothed with straight and hooked hairs, septa between two joints of pod boat-shaped,easily separable. Seeds light to dark brown, 2 × 1 mm, oval, smooth, spermoderm rugulate.
Seed and spermoderm pattern.
The species is named in honor of Prof. D.S. Pokle who has done extensive work on the taxonomy of the genus
Maharashtra (Fig.
Distribution of
Flowering from August to October; fruiting from September to November.
1 | Joints of pods strongly transversely rugose, never tetragonal. |
|
– | Joints of pods tetragonal, rugose, reticulated or smooth |
|
2 | Inflorescence short dense, calyx and bract conspicuously ciliated, pod not exserted from calyx |
|
– | Inflorescence long dens or lax, calyx and bract less ciliated or glabrous, pod exserted from calyx |
|
3 | Secondary bract present |
|
– | Secondary bract absent |
|
4 | Stem densely pubescent, calyx and bract slightly ciliate, leave ovate |
|
– | Stem glabrous or with a line of hair, calyx and bract glabrous, leaves usually linear-lanceolate |
|
5 | Joints of pods reticulated or tetragonal rugose, calyx and bract densely covered with silky white hairs |
|
– | Joints of pods slightly reticulate or smooth, hairs in calyx and bract not silky white |
|
6 | Leaflets 3-nerved at base, inflorescence long, pods included in the calyx |
|
– | Leaflets 1-nerved at base, inflorescence short, podexserted from calyx |
|
7 | Joint of pod tetragonal, as long as broad, conspicuously reticulate |
|
– | Joint of pod 4-winged, longer than broad, obscurely reticulate |
|
8 | Calyx reticulate-veined, shorter than first joint of pod |
|
– | Calyx striate-veined, longer than first joint of pod |
|
9 | Pod moniliform |
|
– | Pod cylindric not moniliform |
|
10 | Pod not pubescent or hairs are short |
|
– | Pod conspicuously pubescent with long hair |
|
11 | Infructescence lax, leaflets dimorphic |
|
– | Infructescence dense, leaflets uniform |
|
12 | Pod 3–5 joint, joints of pod broader than long, pod septa not easily separable, leaflets orbicular, mix one and three foliolate |
|
– | Pod 5–7 joint, joints of pod longer than broad, pod septa easily separable, leaflets ovate, one foliolate |
|
13 | Pod puberulous, calyx and bract densely pubescent, secondary bract absent |
|
– | Pod glossy, glabrous, calyx and bract slightly ciliate at the margin, secondary bract present | |
14 | Pedicel 3–4 mm long filiform, pod drooping |
|
– | Pedicel 1–2 mm long, pod straight |
|
15 | Pod moniliform, branches glabrous, leflets elliptic oblong |
|
– | Pod cylindrical, branches covered with appressed hairs |
|
16 | Leaflets linear lanceolate, calyx and bract almost glabrous |
|
– | Leaflets usually ovate-obovate, calyx and bract more ciliate |
|
INDIA, Maharashtra, Nanded, Bodhadi, 14.12.1997,
We thank Prof. S.R. Yadav,