Crotalaria montana Roxb. ex Roth, 1821

Lohit, Tushar Anilrao & Wagh, Vijay Vishnu, 2024, Taxonomic notes and synonymy in Crotalaria montana (Fabaceae: Crotalarieae), Phytotaxa 640 (3), pp. 293-300 : 294

Crotalaria montana Roxb. ex Roth , Nov. Pl. Sp. (1821) ( Figs. 1–3 )

Lectotype (designated by Turner, 2021): B. Heyne s.n. ( L barcodeL 0018846 [image!]).

= C. linifolia auct. non. L.f.; Roxb. Fl. Indica 3: 266. (1832).

= C. naikiana Zate Indian J. Forestry 5: 35. (1982).

Type:— INDIA. Maharashtra, Nanded, Kinwat, Ambadi, Zate 924a ; b–c (isotypes).

= Crotalaria lamelliformis Sivaram., Yugandhar & L.J. Singh, Phytotaxa 490: 72 (2021) , syn. nov.

Type:— INDIA. Andhra Pradesh: Chittoor District, Near Sadasivakona , elev. ca. 315 m. a.s.l, 13°50’31.49” N latitude, 79°61’72.33” E longitude, 15 July 2018, P. Sivaramakrishna, P. Yugandhar & L. J. Singh, 0011 (holotype: CAL scan!; isotype: BSID scan!)

Prostrate to ascending herb, 25–30 cm long. Tap root. Stem profusely branched, from the base or higher, terete, 1–1.5 mm thick, adpressed with white hairs. Leaves simple, thick, alternate, up to 4 cm long, petiole 1–1.5 mm long, stipules 2, 1–2.8 mm long, minute, lanceolate, pilose; Lamina 1–3.5× 1–1.5 cm, narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate, cuneate at base, mucronate at apex, margin entire, glabrous or sparingly pilose on upper surface and densely covered with adpressed white hairs on lower surface, abaxial hairs protrude at margins, mid vein prominent, blade lobes involute, margins obscurely involute. Inflorescence racemes, terminal, peduncles 6–8 cm long, slender, clothed with adpressed white hairs. Flower (4–15 no.) across 7–8× 4–5 mm, pedicillate, pedicel 2.5–3 mm long, hairy; bract linear-lanceolate, minute, 1.5–2.5 mm long, bracteols 2, linear–lanceolate, minute, 0.5–1 mm long, attached to calyx tube on lateral side of anterior sepals, hairy, sericeous; Calyx tube 4–5 mm long, calyx lobes unequal, bilipped calyces, anterior two sepals broad, connate, notched at the apex, brownish green or brownish yellow, ventral surface glabrous, brownish green, three nerved, lower sepals linear–lanceolate, connate apically and basally, apex acute, upper surface hairy; Corolla bright yellow, exerted, petals 5, standard petal across 8–9× 6–7 mm, sub-orbicular, short claw at base, surrounded by white cottony hairs, blackish brown or reddish brown striations arising from the base up to the middle, apex emarginated, notched, callosities lamelliform 1–2× 2–3 mm; wing petals 7–8× 2–3 mm, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, clawed; keel petals 7–8× 3–3.5 mm, spirally twisted, margin ciliate, fused; staminal sheath 5–5.5 mm long, stamens 10, monodelphous, dimorphic, dithecous, basifixed, free filaments 3–4 mm long, anthers ovoid 0.5 mm, anthers with short filaments are sagittate, 3–3.5 mm long; Gynoecium, ovary sessile, oblong, glabrous, narrowed upward 3–4× 1–1.5 mm, ovules up to 10, style 5–6 mm long, sparsely hairy, geniculate, hairs in single row arranged spirally (S-pattern), stigma brush type, densely hairy; Pod oblong or sub-cylindric, 5–7× 3–4 mm, slightly exceeding the calyx, glabrous, curved and beak conspicuous, ripened pod black or yellowish brown, calyx and style persistent; Seeds 4–8, 1–2× 1–1.5 mm, reniform, without aril, brown or blackish brown, polished, shining.

Phenology: —Flowering and fruiting July to December

Habitat ecology and distribution: — Crotalaria montana grows in dry areas of Chambal ravines in sandy soil along with herbaceous plants. The species grows in association with Grewia flavescens Jussieu (1804: 91) , Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) Candolle. (1825: 447) , Euphorbia hirta Linnaeus. (1753: 454) , Dactyloctenium aegyptium ( L.) Willdenow (1809: 1029), Blepharis repens (Vahl) Roth (1821: 321) , Desmostachya bipinnata ( L.) Stapf (1900: 632), Vicoa indica ( L.) Candolle. (1834: 10). We have collected this species from Chambal ravines i.e. Kuthiyana village of Beerpur forest range of Madhya Pradesh, India N26°41’35.9844” E77°5’51.5328”, at an altitude of 152 m asl.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Crotalaria montana. A&B Habit, C Flower, D Fruit

FIGURE 2. Crotalaria montana (A,C,E,G,I,K,M,O,Q,S). A Bud, C Wings, E Sepal, G Anther, I Petal, K Stigma, M Petal base, O Fruit, Q Keel, S Seed. Crotalaria albida (B,D,F,H,J,L,N,P,R,T). B Bud, D Wings, F Sepal, H Anther, J Petal, L Stigma, N Petal base, P Fruit, R Keel, T Seed.

FIGURE 3. Crotalaria montana (A,C,E,G).A Petal base, C Stipule, E Seed, G Leaf surface micrograph and Crotalaria albida (B,D,F,H). B Petal base, D Caducous stipule, F Seed, H Leaf surface.