Smithia purpurea Hooker (1847: 4283)

Singh, Rajeev Kumar, 2016, Lectotypifications of some Smithia (Fabaceae) occurring in India, Phytotaxa 255 (1), pp. 1-20 : 13

8. Smithia purpurea Hooker (1847: 4283) .

Type citation: — “Our valued friend J.S. Law, Esq., has discovered in Bombay a sixth species, having purple flowers, the vexillum and alae being moreover each marked with a conspicuous white spot. Seeds of this lovely little plant (and dried native specimens) were forwarded to us by Mr. Law, and the former soon germinated and blossomed in the stove of the Royal Gardens, in October, 1846”

Lectotype (designated here): — INDIA. Maharshtra , Bombay (Mumbai), s.d., Law s.n. (K000827970!).

Residual syntypes: — INDIA. Concan (Konkan), s.d., Stocks & Law s.n. ( CAL 0000012759!, K000827971!, MH! Accession no. 86877, P02849170!, P02913892!, P02913893! and P02913896!).

Distribution: — India, endemic (Maharashtra and Karnataka).

Notes: — While describing Smithia purpurea, W.J. Hooker (1847) did not cite any type specimen nor did he mention the date of collection, number of collection and name of herbarium where specimens housed. From the note given in the protologue, it is clear that this species was described based on the specimens collected by Law from Bombay region and the blossomed live plants in the stove of the Royal Gardens which were germinated from the seeds send by Law from Bombay. Pertaining to the specification given in the protologue, eight herbarium specimens of S. purpurea collected by Mr. Law were traced (CAL0000012759, K000827970, K000827971, MH, P02849170, P02913892, P02913893 and P02913896). The specimens collected by Law from Concan can also be considered as original material because the locality Bombay comes within Concan region. Only the two specimens of herbarium Hookerianum at K have been considered here to choose the lectotype specimen for this name because W.J. Hooker worked at K. The best one, K000827970, is better preserved and more complete than the other, hence is here designated as the lectotype as it agrees well with the protologue.