Indigofera karuppiana Pallithanam (1976: 239)

Chauhan, Vibha & Pandey, Arun K., 2015, A revision of trifoliolate Indigofera (Tribe Indigofereae: Fabaceae) in India, Phytotaxa 220 (1), pp. 1-29 : 16-17

4. Indigofera karuppiana Pallithanam (1976: 239) . Fig. 6 .

Type:— INDIA. Peninsular India: Pulney Hills, Wight 670 (holotype K!, Isotype CAL!).

Synonyms:— I. vestita Baker in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 96. 1876 non Harvey 1862.

I. trifoliata Linn. subsp. trifoliata de Kort & Thijsse in Blumea 30: 137. 1984, p.p.

Shrub, 20–50 cm high; stems erect densely tomentose biramous hairs spreading with unequal arms. Leaves digitately trifoliolate; stipules 2–2.5x 1–1.5 mm, narrowly triangular, pubescent outside; stipellae absent; petiolules 1–1.5 mm long; leaflets 1.5–4 x 0.5–1 cm, narrowly obovate, cuneate to obtuse at base, rounded and mucronate at apex, densely spreading pubescent on both surfaces, dark brown gland-dotted beneath; Racemes 5–10 mm long, axillary; rachis densely spreading pubescent, 10–16-flowered. Flowers deep red, 4.5 mm long; bracts c. 0.8 mm long, triangular; pedicels c. 1–1.5 mm long. Calyx densely pubescent and gland-dotted outside, cup c. 1 mm long, teeth 2.5–3 x 0.5 mm, narrowly triangular. Standard 3.5–4 x 1.5–2 mm, elliptic to obovate, rounded and mucronate at apex, adpressed pubescent and gland-dotted on the back; wing petals 3–4x 1 mm, glabrous; keel petals 3.5–4 x 1.5 mm, densely pubescent and gland-dotted outside, lateral spur c. 1 mm long. Staminal sheath c. 3.5 mm long; anthers c. 0.8 mm long. Ovary c. 2 mm long, glabrous, 6–10-ovuled; style c. 1.5 mm long, with glands around the base. Pods 8–12 x 1.5–2 mm, reflexed, straight, flat, abruptly apiculate, spreading pubescent, gland-dotted towards the tip, 6–10-seeded; sutures obscurely winged. Seeds c. 1.5 x 1–1.5 mm, truncate to rounded at ends, reddish-brown, shiny.

Phenology:— Fls. September–December; Frts. October–December

Distribution:— INDIA: Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu; endemic.

Habitat:— Dry hill slopes and tops in scrub forests between 900 and 1400 m.

Specimen examined:— Karnataka: Mysore Dist., Bandipur , 3000 ft., October 1910, A. Meebold 11551 ; Kerala: Palghat Dist., Attapady valley, Tekuponnai , 2600 ft., 21 October 1910, C. E. C. Fischer 2342 ; Maharashtra: Kolhapur Dist., Sutgathi , 14 October 2011, Chauhan & Pandey 1436 ( DUH) ; Tamil Nadu: Dimbam , 3700 ft., 16 November 1905, C. E. C. Fischer 599 ; Coimbatore Dist., Marudhamalai on eastern slopes, 6 December 1980, M. Sanjappa 703 ; Coimbatore Dist., Perumalmudi , 1350m, 19 August 1971, M. V. Viswanathan 1029 ( MH) ; Coimbatore Dist., Maruthamalai , 750m, 27 October 1971, M. V. Viswanathan 1075 ( MH) ; Nilgiri Dist., Keil Kundah-Pegumbu Halla , 1450m, 17 February 1973, E. Vajravelu 43614 ( MH) ; Nilgiri Dist., Ebanad, Koil hill, 1850m, 11 September 1970, G. V. Subba Rao 36639 ( MH) ; Nilgiri Dist., Kannalti , 15 November 2011, Chauhan 1465 ( DUH) .

Chr. No.:— 2n = 16 ( Sanjappa & Dasgupta 1983).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Indigofera karuppiana. A. Habit, B. Standard petal, C.,D. Wing petals, E. Keel,F. Calyx, G. Pod. (Based on: Chauhan 1465 DUH). Drawn by V. Chauhan.