Flemingia vestita Benth. ex Baker

6. Flemingia vestita Benth. ex Baker View in CoL — Fig. 13 View Fig , 14 View Fig

Flemingia vestita Benth. ex Baker (1876) View in CoL 230. — Maughania vestita (Benth. ex Baker) Kuntze (1891) View in CoL 199. — Lepidocoma vestita (Benth. ex Baker) M.R. Almeida (1998) View in CoL 105. — Type: Blinkworth s.n., s.d., Wallich Cat. Number 5545, (lecto K-W (K001121248), here designated; isolecto CAL (CAL0000067596), G), India, Kumaon.

Etymology. The specific epithet ‘ vestita’ refers to its stem clothed with hairs.

Decumbent herbs, 45–60 cm long branched stem; roots tuberous, ovoid or elongate, 2–3 in cluster, underground; stems 3–4 mm diam, terete, densely hairy with grey, antrorse hairs, gland-dotted. Leaves 8–11 cm long; stipules caducous, 12–15 by 4–6 mm, ovate to lanceolate, acuminate, fused, splitting at maturity, basifixed, persistent, many-nerved, gland-dotted, densely hairy; hairs antrorse; petioles 4.5–6.5 cm long, sparsely hairy, gland-dotted; leaflets 4–4.8 by 3–4.2 cm, obovate to round, middle leaflet cuneate at base, lateral leaflets asymmetrical or oblique at base, hairy on both surfaces, abaxially gland-dotted, margin ciliate; glands orange-red; petiolules 1.8–2 mm long, hairy. Inflorescences terminal heads, 3–6-flowered; peduncles 3–6 cm long. Flowers 1.5–1.7 cm long, pedicellate, bracteate; pedicels 2–3 mm long, hairy; bracts 6–7 by 2.5–3 mm, ovate to lanceolate, acuminate, caducous, many-nerved, gland-dotted, densely hairy; hairs antrorse. Calyx 10–11.5 mm long, hairy, gland-dotted on outer surface; calyx tube 5–6.5 mm long, campanulate, hairy, gland-dotted; calyx teeth 5, subequal, 5.5–6.5 by 2.2–3 mm, linear to lanceolate, acuminate, connate for 1/2 of their length, many-nerved. Corolla reddish pink; standard 1.4–1.5 by 1.5–1.6 cm, cordate to round, retuse at apex, hairy, gland-dotted on outer surface, towards apex, clawed with 2 auricles; claw 2–2.5 mm long, auricles ≤ 1 mm long; wings 12–13 by 3.5–4 mm, oblong, with claw and auricle, claw 4–4.5 mm long, auricles c. 1 mm long; keel petals 13–14 by 3.5–4 mm, slightly falcate, hairy, gland-dotted on outer surface, with claw and auricle, fused half of its length at lower side, claw 5–5.5 mm long, auricles < 1 mm long. Stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1); staminal tube 9–10 by 1 mm; anthers uniform, less than 1 mm, basifixed; filaments of fused stamens 4–4.5 mm long, that of free stamen 10–11 mm long. Ovary 2–2.5 by 1 mm, sub-sessile, hairy, gland-dotted; ovules 2; style 8–8.5 mm long, glabrous, swollen at middle; stigma capitate, hairy. Fruit a pod, (9–)12–13 by 4–5 mm, 1-seeded, included within calyx, beaked, turgid, glabrous; beak less than 1 mm long. Seeds 4.5 by 2.5 by 2.5 mm, black, ellipsoid, hilum less than 1 mm long, position ± central.

Flowering & Fruiting — October to December.

Distribution — Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Uttara- khand. Nepal.

Habitat & Ecology — Flemingia vestita grows on the slopes of mountains. It occurs at high altitude of c. (1600–) 1800–2100 m asl.

Additional specimens examined. INDIA, without day Sept. 1964, Brandis 3823 ( DD) ; ibid., Schlich 139 ( BM, OXF) ; N.W. Himalayas, Royle s.n. ( CAL, LE) . – Himachal Pradesh, Chamba District, Dalhousie , 22 Sept. 1874, Clarke 22901 F ( E) ; Kangra District, McLeodganj, 28 Aug. 2017, Bhatia (SUK) ; Shimla District , Pulbaha , 19 Aug. 1940, Raizada 14261 ( DD) ; Shali , 17 Aug. 1884, Drummond 2510 ( DD) ; Shimla , s.d., Drummond 2518 ( DD) ; Elysian Hill, Simla , 13 Aug. 1877, Gamble 4718 A ( MH) ; ibid., B ( CAL, GH) ; ibid., Gamble 4813b ( DD) ; Chota Simla , 2 Aug. 1877, Gamble 4813A ( MH) ; near Taradevi , 18 Aug. 1889, Duthie 8768 ( DD) ; Hoya Khud , Simla, 1866, Johnson s.n. ( CAL) ; Simla , Oct. 1907, Meebold 8700 ( CAL) ; Chall, Banjani village , 14 May 1945, Ram (DD, MH) ; Jagu Road, 6 Aug. 1940, Raizada 10099 ( DD) ; Pulbaha, Giri Road , 9 Aug. 1940, Raizada 14261 ( DD) ; ibid., Royle 63 /243 ( DD) ; ibid., Royle 63/255 ( DD) ; Simla , Sept. without year, Schlich 139 ( BM, OXF) ; Simla , Oct. 1928, Wall 421 ( S) ; ibid., 18 Aug. 1889, Duthie 8768 ( DD) ; ibid., 6 Aug. 1940, Raizada 10099 ( DD) ; Sirmaur District , 6 Aug. 1986, Karki 82221 ( BSD) ; Solan District, Banjani , 14 May 1905, Ram s.n. ( DD) ; 25 km to Kalka,before Dharampur , 15 Oct.1977, Van der Maesen 2955 ( ICRISAT, WAG) ; Shalai, N.W. Himalays , 31 Aug.1889, Watt 9585 ( E) ; Simla s.d., Watt s.n. ( OXF) .– Jammu and Kashmir, Pagaway , 14Aug.1884, Drummond 2519 ( DD) . – Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills District , s.d., without collector s.n. ( ASSAM); without precise locality, 19 Oct. 1867, Clarke 5721 ( CAL) ; ibid., Aug. 1874, Kurz 68 ( A, CAL) ; Shillong , 13 Aug. 1885, Clarke 40296 A ( CAL) ; Lailankote , 26 Sept. 1886, Clarke 45555 B ( CAL) ; ibid., C ( BM) ; ibid., E ( US); Shillong, Bishop’s Fall , 8 Oct.1890, Collett s.n. ( BM) ; Dum pep, Khasi hills, 13 Oct. 1910, Hooper 34685 ( CAL) ; Khasi Hills , Nov. 1873, Mann s.n. ( ASSAM, CAL, DD, MH) ; Khasia, s.d., Hooker & Thomson s.n. ( BM, MH, US); Khasi hills, Dec.1897, Prain 1823 ( CAL) ; Kanital , Aug.1899, Ramsukh s.n. ( DD) ; Shillong , s.d., Kanjilal 7235 ( ASSAM) . – Uttarakhand, Almora District, Almora to Kalmatia , 2 Oct. 1957, Rao 4726 ( BSB) ; Gairar , 17 Oct. 1975, Vohra 57991 ( BSD) ; Kukuchina , 8 Oct. 1975, Wadhwa 57529 ( BSD) ; Panuwanaula , 30 Sept. 1900, Khan 24336 A ( DD) ; Chamoli District , 4 Sept. 1889, Hajara 87620 ( BSD) ; Ansuya , 5 Oct. 1970, Naithani 42028 ( BSD) ; Bhyundar , 15 Aug. 1963, Bhattacharyya 29332 ( BSD) ; Champawat District, Abbott Mount , 23 Sept. 2002, Karki 98606 ( BSD) ; Bagargad , 27 Sept. 1963, Bhattacharyya 30884 ( BSD) ; on the way to Wan , Sept. 1993, Balvin 77140 ( BSD) ; Lohajung , Sept. 1993, Baloni 73634 ( BSD) ; Dehradun District, Chakrata , 24 Sept. 1943, Raizada 18294 ( DD) ; ibid., 18 Oct. 1946, Raizada s.n. ( DD) ; Kandar village, Jaunsar, N.W. Provinces , Sept. 1890, Keshavanand 232 ( OXF) ; Landour , Oct. 1945, Raizada s.n. ( DD) ; 10 Sept. 1948, Fleming 738 ( DD) ; Mussoorie , s.d., Duthie s.n. ( DD) ; Mussoorie, Chamars Khud , Aug.1915, Anderson 30 ( E) ; Tehri Road, Landour, Mussoorie , 11 Aug. 1934, Stewart 14311 ( A) ; Jabberkhet, Landour, Mussoorie , 18 Aug. 1934, Stewart 15613 ( A) ; ibid., 14 Sept. 1927, Gupta s.n. ( DD) ; ibid., Oct. 1945, Raizada s.n. ( DD) ; ibid., Aug. 1957, Rau 3311 ( BSD) ; ibid., July 1877, Duthie 140 ( DD) ; ibid., Sept.1877, Duthie 145 ( CAL) ; ibid., Sept.1878, Duthie s.n. ( DD) ; Benog , 8 Sept. 1960, Saxena 1165 ( DD) ; Benog , 18 Aug. 1961, Saxena 2155b ( DD) ; ibid., 1869, King s.n. ( CAL) ; on the way to Landour , 21 Sept. 1877, Duthie 1540 ( DD) ; Hardwar District, Rajpur , 19 Sept.1970, Vaid s.n. ( DD) ; Nainital District, Ayarpatta , 15 Aug. 1937, Champion 7703 ( DD) ; Chana above Nainital , s.d., Hume s.n. ( CAL) ; Pithoragarh District, Chulkot , 20 July 1951, Thomas 20857 ( DD) ; Nagling , 5 Sept. 1900, Duthie 24336 ( K) ; Nongling , Dharma valley, 5 Sept. 1900, Khan 24336 ( DD) ; Milankuti , 12 Sept. 1983, Baloni 75002 ( BSD) ; on the way to Sirkha , Sept. 1986, Baludi 83218 ( BSD) ; on the way to Patalthor , 18 Sept. 1983, Balvin 75294 ( BSD) ; Pithoragarh , 26 Sept. 1975, Arora 56541 ( BSD) ; Pauri Garhwal District, on the way to Khirsu to Pouri , 18 Sept.1975, Rao 56335 ( BSD) ; Ranisi , 11 Sept. 1972, Naithani 3687 ( DD) ; Rudraprayag District, Madhyamaheshwar , 13 Sept. 1997, Pundir 91970 ( BSD) ; Tehri Garhwal District , Sept. 1881, Duthie s.n. ( DD) ; Rangalgarh , 26 Sept.1954, Bahni 21459 ( DD) ; Reeh , 8Aug. 1978, Goal 64279 ( BSD) ; ibid., 22 Sept. 1979, Goal 67979 ( BSD) ; Garhwal , s.d., King s.n. ( CAL) .

Taxonomic note — Baker (1876) reported one variety under F. vestita , i.e., F. vestita var. nilgheriensis . Subsequent research- ers ( Cooke 1902, Gamble 1928, Sanjappa 1992, Kothari 2001) treated this as the distinct species F. nilgheriensis . We agree with them. Almeida (1998) reported F. vestita as Lepidocoma vestita (Benth. ex Baker) M.R.Almeida in his Flora of Maharashtra; however, field surveys and herbarium consultations reveal that this species has not been collected from Maharashtra so far.

Nomenclatural note — The binomial Dolichos vestitus Graham was proposed by Graham in the Wallich catalogue. Graham omitted to validate the name ( Wallich 1828). Baker (1876) validated Graham’s name and proposed a new combination Flemingia vestita in Hooker’s Flora of British India. However, Baker (1876) did not mention any specific sheet as the type in the protologue but he cited the specimen with Wallich catalogue number 5545. In search of the type we could locate three sheets, one each at K (K-W, K001121248), CAL (0000067596) and G. All these match well with the description given in the protologue and can be considered as original material. In order to fix the ap- plication of the binomial Flemingia vestita we herewith designate K (K001121248) from the Wallich collection as lectotype.