Astragalus kanjuensis Z. Ullah, A. Khan & A. Sultan, 2024

Ullah, Zahid, Khan, Amjad, Sultan, Amir, Ali, Ahmad & Mumtaz, Abdul Samad, 2024, Astragalus kanjuensis, a new species of section Aegacantha (Galegeae-Fabaceae) from Swat, Pakistan, Phytotaxa 671 (3), pp. 211-230 : 213-220

Astragalus kanjuensis Z. Ullah, A. Khan & A. Sultan sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–10 )

Type:— Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Swat district, Kanju Town , Sector-D, 34°49’46”N, 72°21’14”E, 1022 m a.s.l., March 10, 2018, Zahid Ullah, 005694 (holotype SWAT; isotypes SWAT and RAW) .

Paratype:— Pakistan, B7 , Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Swat district Kanju Town Sector-D, 22 March 2018, Sohail Khan & Zahid Ullah No. ZU 18-44, ( SWAT004855 ) ; Kanju Town Sector-D near passport office, 01 May 2022, Wahid Ullah & M. Zeb, No. WU-198 ( SWAT002596 ) ; Kanju Town Sector-D, 01 May 2022, Ullah & M. Zeb, No. WU-199, 34.834121N, 72.35067E ( SWAT002595 ) ; Kanju Town , Sector-E, 9 March 2022, Musarrat Ali & Z. Ullah, No. MA-01 ( SWAT003241 ) ; Kanju town, sector-D, near Swat University old campus, 1023 m, 22 March 2024, Rahman Ali, ( RAW103214 ) ; Kanju town, sector-D, near Aqsa Masjid , 1040 m, 21 May 2023, Zahid Ullah, ( RAW103215 ) ; Swat district, Kanju town, sector-D, in front of University of Swat [old] campus, March 2020, Zahid Ullah, ( RAW101449 !) ; Kanju Township , Sector-D, 9 March 2020, Zahid Ullah & Sohail Khan, No. SK 27 j, ( RAW101725 ) ; Kanju Township , Sector-D, 9 March 2020, Zahid Ullah & Sohail Khan, No. SK27 -f, ( RAW101724 ) ; Kanju Township , Sector-D, 3 April 2021, Zahid Ullah, ( RAW101728 ) ; Kanju town, sector D, in front of University of Swat campus, 4 May 2018, Amir Sultan, Zahid Ullah & Shakeel Ahmad, No. 1045, ( RAW101451 ) ; Kanju town , sector D, 18 Febuary 2020, Zahid Ullah & Sohail Khan, No. SK05 -b, ( RAW101722 ) ; Kanju town , sector D, 16 April 2020, Zahid Ullah & Sohail Khan, No. SK 26 -b, ( RAW101726 ) ; Kanju town , sector D, 16 April 2020, Zahid Ullah & Sohail Khan, No. SK26 , ( RAW101727 ) ; Kanju town , sector D, 9 March 2020, Zahid Ullah & Sohail Khan, No. SK27 -b, ( RAW101723 ) ; Kanju town , sector D, 16 April 2020, Zahid Ullah & Sohail Khan, No. SK26 -d, ( RAW101721 ) ; Kanju town , sector D, 16 April 2020, Zahid Ullah & Sohail Khan, No. SK26 -c, ( RAW101720 ) ; Swat district, cliffs north of Mingora , 13 April 1975, Yasin Nasir & E. T. Ecker, No. 7623 ( RAW47510 ) ; from Saidu Sharif- on main road towards ( Marghuzar ) on cliffs, ± 3,300 ft, 8 April 1956, R. R. Stewart, No. 27426, ( RAW18195 ) ; Marghuzar , ± 4,000 ft, 6 March 1959, Dr. Salt, No. 13, ( RAW18524 ) .

Diagnosis:— Morphologically, Astragalus kanjuensis is closely related to A.vallis-astoris in the section Aegacantha , but differs from A. vallis-astoris , by its stipules (narrowly triangular, 3.5–10 mm long, with 1–3 longitudinal nerves vs. long attenuate, 8–12 mm long, with 2–4 distinct longitudinal nerves, obliquely inserted at the stem);leaflets (7–12 pairs, elliptic to narrowly obovate, 3–10.5× 1.5–4 mm, often conduplicate, obtuse to slightly emarginate, mucronulate (mucro ca. 0.2 mm long), or lacking mucro, vs. 12–14 pairs, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, 5–9× 1–3 mm, all shortly mucronulate-acuminate, flat); peduncles (2.5–10 cm long, pilose with only white hairs vs. 2.5–3.5 cm long, pilose with mixed white and black hairs; raceme (2 flowered vs. 2–5 flowered);bracts (2.5–6.5 mm long, densely pilose with only white hairs vs. up to 5 mm long, pilose with mixed white and black hairs); pedicels (3.5–6 mm long, densely pubescent with only white hairs vs. 3–5 mm long, densely pubescent with black hairs); calyx (11–18 mm long, loosely covered with subappressed 0.2–0.8 mm long white hairs, teeth 2.5–6 mm long, sparsely pilose with only white hairs vs. 11–12 mm long, loosely covered with ascending to spreading 0.5–0.8 mm long white hairs and with sub-appressed shorter black hairs, teeth upto 3 mm long, sparsely white and black hairy on inner side); vexillum (23–32 mm long vs. 24–25 mm long); wings (21–28 mm long, limbs oblong, 7–10× 3–5 mm, claw 14–18 mm long vs. up to 22 mm long; limbs narrowly oblong, 11× 2.5 mm; claw up to 11 mm long); ovary short stipitate, 4–5× 0.9–1.2 mm, style glabrous in the middle vs. stipe up to 1 mm long, style hairy up to the middle); legumes (cylindrical, elliptic to oblong, 12–21× 4–8 mm, beak abruptly curved 2–3(–4) mm long, densely pubescent with only spreading 0.1–0.2 mm long white hairs vs. narrowly oblong, 18–20× 6 mm, keeled ventrally, widely grooved dorsally, with a slightly curved beak up to 5 mm long, rather densely covered with spreading 0.5–3 mm long white hairs and with very short mixed white and black hairs); seed (1.8–2.5× 2.3–3 mm, greyish brown, rhomboid-reniform, surface slightly wrinkled vs. 3–4× 2.5–3 mm, reddish brown, reniform, surface smooth) represented in Table 1.

Description:— Pale-yellowish to greyish, cushion-forming, procumbent to ascending perennial spiny subshrub. Rootstock and basal stem woody, bark rough and fissured, plants 15–30 (–50) cm high, branched from the base, older branches covered with persistent leaf bases in the lower region, and persistent spiny rachises of previous year leaves. Stem 20–25 cm long, at the base 3–5 mm in diameter, round with pale greyish bark, sparsely hairy or glabrescent. Stem of the current year yellowish-brown in colour, 13–22 cm long with young branches densely appressed pilose, with c 0.75 mm long white hairs. Internodes of young branches to 10–20 mm long, roundish, yellowish brown to pale brown. Stipules greyish-white, membranous, 3.5–10 mm long, connate at the base, narrowly triangular, amplexicaulis, upper 2–6 mm free, 1.5–3 mm adnate with petiole, with 1–3 longitudinal nerves, densely pubescent with appressed white 0.5–0.9 mm long hairs. Leaves 3–11 cm long (including petiole), paripinnate, sub-erect to erect; petiole (1.3–) 3–4.5 cm long, rachis (1.7–) 3.5–6.5 cm long, green or pale yellowish, slender, sparsely to densely pilose with subappressed 0.4–1 mm long white hairs, tip of rachis spiny, 2–3.5 mm long, pungent. Leaflets 7–12 pairs, subopposite, usually folded, greyish green, upper leaflets gradually diminishing in size, elliptic-oblong to obovate, 3–10.5× 1.5–4 mm; petiolules c. 0.5 mm long, obtuse to slightly emarginate, mucronulate (mucro ca. 0.2 mm long), or lacking a mucro, abaxial surface densely pubescent with appressed 0.6–1.5 mm long hairs, adaxial surface densely pilose with appressed 0.8–1.7 mm long hairs. Peduncles 2.5–(5–6) – 10 cm long, densely to sparsely pilose with 0.2–0.4 mm long white hairs. Racemes 2-flowered. Bracts 2.5–6.5 mm long, whitish-membranous, filiform, densely pilose with up to 1.5 long white hairs. Pedicels 3–4 (–6) mm long, somewhat reflexed in fruiting, predominantly covered with spreading ca. 0.4 mm long white hairs. Calyx 11–(15–16) – 18 mm (including teeth), tubular, dark red-suffused, loosely covered with subappressed 0.2–0.8 mm long white hairs, tube 9–12 mm, calyx teeth two short (2.5–6 mm long), three long (3.5–6 mm long), subulate, pilose with 0.4–1 mm long white hairs. Corolla yellow becoming reddish with age, glabrous. Vexillum 23–32 mm long; limb 14.5–20× 8–10 mm, gradually narrowed at the base, obovate, slightly emarginate; claw 8.5–12× 2–3.5 mm, slightly longer than the wings, slightly panduriform. Wings 21–28 mm long, limb 7–10× 3–5 mm, oblong, obtuse, narrowed to the base; auricle 0.8–1 mm long; claw 14–18 mm long. Keel 21–26 mm long, subrostral, limbs obliquely elliptic, within the middle widely gibbously curved, lower and upper edges slightly curved, subacute, 7–8× 3.5–4 mm; auricle 0.3–0.5 mm long, claw 14–18 mm long. Staminal tube 19–25 mm long, obliquely cut at the mouth, filaments alternate short and long. Ovary 4–5× 0.9–1.2 mm, shortly stipitate, densely pilose with subappressed 0.2–0.7 mm long white hairs; style c. 20 mm long, sparsely pilose at the base, glabrous above. Legumes subsessile, 12–21× 4–8 mm, coriaceous, cylindrical, elliptic to oblong, greyish brown, 10–16 seeded, bilocular, densely covered with spreading 0.1–0.2 mm long white hairs, beak abruptly curved 2–3 mm or sometime 3–4 mm long. Seeds 1.8– 2.5× 2.3–3 mm, greyish brown, rhomboid-reniform, surface slightly wrinkled.

Phenology: Flowering from February to April and fruiting from April to May.

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to Kanju town in Swat district, northwest Pakistan, the type locality to which the new species is confined. Swat is a place with rich biodiversity, topographic, geographic and sociocultural diversity.

FIGURE 6. Morphological comparison between Astragalus kanjuensis (A1–D1) and A. vallis-astoris (A2–D2): (A1–A2) Leaf, (B1–B2) Stipules, (C1–C2) variation in leaflets at adaxial surface, (D1–D2) variation in leaflets at abaxial surface.

Characters Astragalus kanjuensis Astragalus vallis-astoris

Plant prostrate to sub– erect, 20–50 cm tall sub– erect, upto 30 cm tall

Stems more than 20 cm long, with brownish grey bark; 20–25 cm long, with pale greyish bark, sparsely hairy or

stems of the current year 8–20 cm long, 0.3–1 mm long Stems glabrescent; stem of the current year 13–22 cm long with

white hairs, at the nodes region white and black hairs 0.5–0.75 mm long, at the node region only white hairs

mixed

3.5–10 mm long, with 1–3 longitudinal nerves, connate at 8–12 mm long, with 2–4 distinct longitudinal nerves, Stipules

the base obliquely inserted at the stem

4 – 11 cm long, sub-erect to erect, petiole (2.3–) 3–4 cm

6–10 cm long, nearly erect; petiole (2.5–) 3–4 cm long, Leaves long, with the rachis green or pale yellowish, sparsely to

with the rachis green, loosely hairy

densely pilose

7–12 pairs, elliptic-oblong to obovate, 3–10.5× 1.5–4 mm,

obtuse to slightly emarginate, mucronulate (mucro ca. 12–14 pairs, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, 5–9× 1–3 mm, 0.2 mm long), or lacking mucro, abaxial surface densely all shortly mucronulate-acuminate, on both sides rather Leaflets

pubescent with appressed 0.6–1.5 mm long hairs, adaxial densely to densely covered with sub-appressed hairs surface densely pilose with appressed 0.8–1.7 mm long 0.5–0.8 mm long, flat hairs, usually folded

2.5–10 cm long, densely to loosely pilose with only white

Peduncles 2.5–3.5 cm long, loosely white and black hairy

hairs

Raceme only 2 flowered 2–5 flowered

Bracts 2.5–6.5 mm long, densely pilose with only white hairs upto 5 mm long, white and black hairy

3.5–6 mm long, predominantly covered with white only

Pedicels 3–5 mm long, predominantly black hairy

hairs

11–12 mm long, loosely covered with ascending to 11–18 mm long, loosely covered with subappressed 0.2–

spreading white hairs 0.5–0.8 mm long and with sub- Calyx 0.8 mm long white hairs, teeth 2.5 – 6 mm long, sparsely

appressed shorter black hairs; teeth upto 3 mm long, pilose with only white hairs

sparsely white and black hairy on inner side

Vexillum 23–32 mm long; limbs upto 10 wide 24–25 mm long; limb upto 9 mm wide

21–28 mm long; limbs oblong, 7–10× 3–5 mm, auricle upto 22 mm long; limbs narrowly oblong, 11× 2.5 mm; Wings

0.8–1 mm long; claw 14–18 mm long auricle upto 0.5 mm long; claw upto 11 mm long

21–26 mm long; limb 7–8× 3.5–4 mm; claw 14–18 mm

Keel upto 18 mm long; limbs 7× 4 mm; claw upto 11 mm long long shortly stipitate, 4–5× 0.9–1.2 mm; style glabrous in the

Ovary stipe upto 1 mm long; style hairy up to the middle middle elliptic to oblong, 12–21 mm long, 4–8 mm high and narrowly oblong, 18–20 mm long, ca. 6 mm high and wide, keeled, ventrally, slightly cylindrical dorsally, beak wide, keeled, ventrally, widely grooved dorsally, with Legumes abruptly curved 2–3 mm or sometime 3–4 mm long, a slightly curved beak upto 5 mm long, rather densely densely covered with only spreading 0.1–0.2 mm long covered with spreading white hairs 0.5–3 mm long and white hairs sometimes mixed with very short white and black hairs 1.8–2.5× 2.3–3 mm, greyish brown, surface slightly

Seeds 2.5–4× 3–3.3 mm, reddish brown, surface smooth wrinkled

Figures

FIGURE 1. Astragalus kanjuensis sp. nov. (A–C) Habit, (D–F) Flowering, (G–H) Flowers close up, (I–L) Fruiting. Photos by Zahid Ullah.

FIGURE 2. Representative specimen of Astragalus kanjuensis (Holotype SWAT005694). Courtesy of the Swat University Herbarium, Pakistan.

FIGURE 3. Astragalus kanjuensis: (A) Flowering branch, (B) Leaf, (C) Stipules.

FIGURE 4. Astragalus kanjuensis: (A) Fruiting branch, (B) Flowers, (C) Fruiting peduncle.

FIGURE 5. Astragalus vallis-astoris (A–B) Habit, (D–E) Flowering, (F) Fruiting. Photos by Amjad Khan.

FIGURE 8. Morphological comparison between Astragalus kanjuensis (A1–D1) and A. vallis-astoris (A2–D2): (A1–A2) Vexillum, (B1–B2) Wings, (C1–C2) Keel closed view, (D1–D2) Keel open view.

FIGURE 10. Morphological comparison between Astragalus kanjuensis (A1–C1) and A. vallis-astoris (A2–C2): (A1–A2) Legumes open view at dorsal surface, (B1–C2) Variation in seeds.