Flemingia rollae (Billore & Hemadri) An.Kumar

4. Flemingia rollae (Billore & Hemadri) An.Kumar View in CoL — Fig. 10 View Fig

Flemingia rollae (Billore & Hemadri) An. Kumar (1983) View in CoL 232. — Maughania rollae Billore & Hemadri (1982) View in CoL 617. — Lepidocoma rollae (Billore & Hemadri) M.R. Almeida (1998) View in CoL 104. — Type: Patwardhan 1200 ( lectotype BSI designated by Gavade et al. (2016a)), India, Maharashtra, Ahmednagar District, Kalsubai hills, 13 Oct. 1907.

Etymology. Specific epithet ‘ rollae ’ honours Dr. Rolla Sheshagiri Rao , Botanical Survey of India, Western Regional Centre (Pune), for his valuable contribution towards the advancement of studies in Indian taxonomy.

Erect herbs, 20–45 cm long with branched stem; roots tuberous, elongate, 2–3 in cluster, underground; stems 3–4 mm diam, terete, densely hairy with white, silky antrorse hairs, gland-dotted. Leaves 4.5–9 cm long; stipules 2, 12–18 by 4–5 mm, ovate to lanceolate, acuminate, fused, splitting at maturity, basifixed, persistent, many-nerved, gland-dotted, densely hairy; hairs antrorse; petioles 1.3–2.2 cm long, pubescent with white silky hairs, gland-dotted; leaflets 2.5–4.8 by 1.2–3 cm, ovate to elliptic lanceolate, 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 1–2 mm long, hairy. Inflorescences terminal heads, 15–25-flowered; peduncle 1–4 cm. Flowers 1.3–1.4 cm long, pedicellate, bracteate; pedicels 2–3 mm long; bracts 1.1–1.2 by 0.3–0.4 cm, ovate to lanceolate, acuminate, persistent, many-nerved, gland-dotted, densely hairy; hairs antrorse. Calyx 1.2–1.3 cm long, hairy, gland-dotted on outer surface; hairs antrorse; calyx tube 4–5 mm long, campanulate, hairy, gland-dotted; calyx teeth 5, equal, 7–8 by 2 mm, linear-lanceolate, acute, connate for 1/3 of its length, many-nerved. Corolla purple; standards 1.2–1.3 by 1.1–1.2 cm, obovate to orbicular, 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 11–12 by 4–5 mm, oblong, hairy, gland-dotted on outer surface, with claw and auricle; claw 4 mm long, auricles c. 1 mm long; keel petals 10 by 3 mm, slightly falcate, hairy, gland-dotted on outer surface, with claw and auricle, fused half of its length at lower side, claw 4 mm long, auricle less than 1 mm. Stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1); staminal tube 7–8 by 1.5–2 mm; anthers uniform, less than 1 mm, basifixed; filaments of united stamens 3–4 mm long, that of free stamens 7–8 mm long. Ovary 2–2.5 by 1–1.5 mm, sub-sessile, hairy, gland-dotted; ovules 1–2; style 7–8 mm long, glabrous, swollen at middle; stigma, capitate, hairy. Fruit a pod, 1.2–1.4 by 0.4–0.5 cm, 1-seeded, included within the calyx, beaked, turgid, glabrous; beak less than 1 mm long. Seeds 4 by 2 by 2 mm, brown, ellipsoid, hilum less than 1 mm long, position ± central.

Flowering & Fruiting — October to November.

Distribution — Maharashtra (Harishchandragad and Kalsubai hills, Ahmednagar District and Torana fort, Pune District); endemic.

Habitat & Ecology — Flemingia rollae is found to grow on high altitude plateaus of northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra. It occurs on hill slopes, rocky crevices and plains at an altitude of c. 700–1600 m asl. It grows in association with species, such as Adelocaryum spp. , Adenoon indicum Dalzell , Barleria sepalosa C.B.Clarke , Ceropegia sahyadrica Ansari & B.G.Kulk. , Chlorophytum glaucum Dalzell , Delphinium malabaricum (Huth) Munz , Echinops echinatus Roxb. , Neuracanthus spp. , Pleocaulus ritchei (C.B.Clarke) Bremek.

Additional specimens examined. INDIA, Maharashtra, Ahmednagar District, Panshet Forests, Kalsubai Hills , near Bari , 3 Oct. 2014, Gavade & Lekhak 6 ( SUK) ; Harishchandragad, near Pachnai , 4 Oct. 2014, Gavade & Lekhak s.n. ( SUK) ; Pune District, Torna fort, 26 Sept. 2015, Nandikar & Giranje 1403 ( SUK) .

Nomenclatural notes — See Gavade et al. (2016a).