Alysicarpus poklianus A. Gholami & A. K. Pandey, 2016

Gholami, Akram & Pandey, Arun K., 2016, Alysicarpus poklianus (Fabaceae, Desmodieae), a new species from India, PhytoKeys 68, pp. 117-124 : 119-120

Alysicarpus poklianus A. Gholami & A. K. Pandey sp. nov. Fig. 1 , 2

Note.

Diagnostic characters for Alysicarpus poklianus include ovate leaves, 5-7 joint pods, easily separable septa and foveo-regulate spermoderm.

Type.

INDIA. Maharashtra: Sinhgarh , 18°21 ’56.39” N, 73°45 ’18.97” E, 587 m, 19 October 2014, Gholami & Pandey 4642 (holotype DUH!, isotype BSD!, CAL!) .

Description.

Annual, prostrate to procumbent, profusely branched, slender, 30-50 cm long, stem densely covered with long hairs.Stipules triangular to linear, scarious, acute striate, 3-7 mm long, glabrous with ciliate margins. Petiole 5-6 mm, hairy. Leaflets ovate to oval, 15-35 × 5-20 mm, apex rounded to mucronulate, both surfaces hairy though the density of hair on lower surface is more. Inflorescence axillary or terminal, 50-150 mm long, lax with stiff hairs. Flowers in pairs, 2-3 pairs along each rachis, subtended by deciduous bract and secondary bracts; pedicels 3-5 mm long. Bracts rounded to ovate, 3-4 mm long, acute, ciliate at margins with long hairs; secondary bracts 1-3 mm long, lanceolate to triangular, ciliate at margins with long hairs. Calyx much shorter than the first joint of the pod; 2-3 mm long, tube very short, c. 1 mm long, lobes acute, not imbricated, ciliate all over. Standard petal light pink, 2-3 mm long, emarginated at apex; wing petals dark pink, 3-3.5 mm long; keel petal boat-shaped, bent and folded, c. 3 mm long. Stamens diadelphous, 2-3 mm long. Ovary 1.5-3 mm long, pubescent. Pods cylindrical, 15-20 mm long, 1.5-2 mm broad, compressed, 5-7 jointed, clothed with straight and hooked hairs, septa between two joints of pod boat-shaped,easily separable. Seeds light to dark brown, 2 × 1 mm, oval, smooth, spermoderm rugulate.

Etymology.

The species is named in honor of Prof. D.S. Pokle who has done extensive work on the taxonomy of the genus Alysicarpus in India.

Distribution and habitat.

Maharashtra (Fig. 3 ), India, growing on gravely slopes along roadsides at 500-600 m elevation.

Phenology.

Flowering from August to October; fruiting from September to November.

Figures

Figure 1. Alysicarpus. A Alysicarpus poklianus B Alysicarpus hamosus C Alysicarpus ovalifolius D Pod of Alysicarpus poklianus E pod of Alysicarpus hamosus F Pod of Alysicarpus ovalifolius G, H Pod septa of Alysicarpus poklianus and Alysicarpus hamosus respectively.

Figure 2. Seed and spermoderm pattern. A, B Alysicarpus poklianus C, D Alysicarpus hamosus E, F Alysicarpus ovalifolius.

Figure 3. Distribution of Alysicarpus poklianus in Maharashtra, India