Flemingia tuberosa Dalzell

5. Flemingia tuberosa Dalzell View in CoL — Fig. 11 View Fig , 12 View Fig

Flemingia tuberosa Dalzell (1850) View in CoL 34. — Maughania tuberosa (Dalzell) Kuntze (1891) View in CoL 199. — Type: India, Maharashtra, Bombay,Malvan,s.d., Dalzell s.n. (lecto K (K001328006), here designated; isolecto K (K001328004), DD).

Etymology. Specific epithet ‘ tuberosa ’ refers to its tuberous roots.

Trailing herbs, 30–90 cm long with branched stem; roots tuberous, oblong, 2–3 in cluster, underground; stems 2–3 mm diam, terete, sparsely hairy with brown silky antrorse hairs, gland-dotted. Leaves 9–13 cm long, stipulate, petiolate; stipules 6–8 by 2–4 mm, caducous, lanceolate, acute, basifixed, many-nerved, hairy; hairs antrorse; petioles 4–6 cm long, sparsely hairy, gland-dotted; leaflets 3, 5–7 by 1–1.5 cm, narrowly linear-lanceolate or oblong, middle leaflet shortly attenuate at base, lateral leaflets asymmetrical or oblique at base, hairy on both surfaces, abaxially gland-dotted, margin ciliate; glands orange-red; petiolules 1–2 mm long, sparsely hairy. Inflorescences axillary or terminal racemes with 2–3 solitary or geminate flowers; peduncles 3–6 cm long. Flowers 1–1.2 cm long, pedicellate, bracteate; pedicels 1–2 mm long, hairy; bracts caducous, 4.5–5.5 by 2–2.5 mm, ovate, acute, caducous, many-nerved, gland-dotted, densely hairy; hairs antrorse. Calyx 8–10 mm long, hairy, gland-dotted on outer surface; hairs antrorse; calyx tube 2–3 mm long, campanulate, hairy, gland-dotted; calyx teeth 5, equal, 6–7 by 1–2 mm, lanceolate, acuminate, connate for 1/3 of their length, many-nerved. Corolla purple; standards 8–9 by 8–9 mm, rounded to obovate, retuse at apex, hairy, gland-dotted on outer surface towards apex, clawed with 2 auricles at base; claw 2 mm long; auricles ≤ 1 mm long; wings 8–9 by 4–4.5 mm, oblong, hairy, gland-dotted on outer surface with claw and auricle, claw 2 mm long, auricles < 1 mm long; keels 7–8 by 2–2.5 mm, slightly falcate, hairy, gland-dotted on outer surface, with claw and auricle, fused half of its length at lower side, claw 2 mm long, auricle less than 1 mm long. Stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1); staminal tube 3–4 by 1 mm; anthers uniform, less than 1 mm, basifixed; filaments of united stamens 2.5–3 mm long, that of free stamens 6–7 mm long. Ovary 2 by 1 mm, sub-sessile, hairy, gland-dotted; ovules 2; style 4–5 mm long, glabrous, swollen at middle; stigma capitate, hairy. Fruit a pod, 5–6 by 2–2.5 mm, 2-seeded, exceeding the calyx, beaked, turgid, glabrous, septate between seeds; beak less than 1 mm long. Seeds 3 by 3 by 2 mm, brown, rounded, hilum less than 1 mm long, position ± central.

Flowering & Fruiting — August to September.

Distribution — Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra; endemic.

Habitat & Ecology — Flemingia tuberosa is found to grow on low altitude plateaus of northern Western Ghats of Goa, Kerala, Maharashtra and Karnataka. It occurs on plateaus, rocky crevices and plains at an altitude of c. 150–200 m asl. It grows in association with Ceropegia attenuata Hook. , Chamaesyce concanensis (Janarth. & S.R.Yadav) V.S. Raju , Chlorophytum laxum R.Br. , Dipcadi concanense Baker , Elaeocharis spp. , Galactia tenuiflora var. minor Baker , Glyphochloa forficulata (C.E.C.Fisch.) Clayton , Habenaria grandifloriformis Blatt. & Mc- Cann , Impatiens minor (DC.) S.M.Almeida , Indigofera dalzellii Cooke , Theriophonum dalzellii Schott.

Additional specimens examined. INDIA, Dadra, 29 Sept. 1963, Ansari 93818 ( BSI) . – Goa, North Goa District, Mopa Village , 8 Aug.2015, Gavade & Lekhak 88 ( SUK) . – Maharashtra, Mumbai Suburban District, Borivali National Park , 13 July 1956, Herbert 1757 ( BLAT) ; ibid., 14 Sept. 1956, Herbert 2252 ( BLAT) ; ibid., 18 Sept.1956, Herbert 2320 ( BLAT) ; ibid., Herbert 2321 ( BLAT) ; ibid., Herbert 2322 ( BLAT) ; Quarry hill, Malad , 6 Sept. 1956, Shah 7435 ( BLAT) ; Ratnagiri District, near Dapoli , Aug. 1922, Geland 358 ( BLAT) ; Hativale , 17 Oct. 2014, Chandore & Borude s.n. ( SUK) ; ibid., 17 July 2015, Gavade 80 ( SUK) ; ibid., 3 Aug. 2015, Gavade 87 ( SUK) ; ibid., 20 Sept. 2016, Gavade 144 ( SUK) ; Sindhudurg District, Nandos , 6 Aug. 1971, Rao 131510A ( BSI) ; Thane District, Sativali forest , 21 Aug.1903, Ryan 1164 ( BSI) ; ibid., 20 June 1903, Ryan 920 ( BSI) ; ibid., 29 Sept. 1903, Ryan 1484 ( BSI) . – Karnataka, Uttar Kannada , 5 Sept. 1884, Talbot 975 ( BSI) .

Nomenclatural notes — Flemingia tuberosa was described by Dalzell from Malvan ( Bombay presidency). The protologue bears no information on the type. In search of the type specimen we could trace some specimens at DD and K ( K001328006 , K001328006 ). Among these, a single specimen from K ( K001328006 ), which is complete and matches well with the protologue, has been designated here as a lectotype .