Flemingia

Jiang, Kai-Wen, Tian, Bin & Pan, Bo, 2022, Legume additions to the flora of China, Phytotaxa 532 (1), pp. 1-21 : 8-9

Key to the Chinese Flemingia :

3. Leaves usually 3-foliolate, sometimes mixed 1-foliolate leaves........................................................................................................7

4. Inflorescence a raceme or panicle; bracts small, ovate to ovate-lanceolate .................................................................... F. paniculata

4. Inflorescence a thyrse of cymelets, each enclosed by large overlapping, folded, shell-like bracts ...................................................5

5. Leaves orbicular-cordate, as long as wide.......................................................................................................................... F. chappar

5. Leaves ovate, narrowly ovate, elliptic or oblong, longer than wide...................................................................................................6

6. Leaves 1.5–2.5 cm wide, cuneate at base, subsessile petiole usually 1–5 mm................................................................ F. fluminalis

6. Leaves 3–7 cm wide, rounded or slightly cordate at base, petiole usually 5–15 mm.................................................... F. strobilifera

7. Inflorescence a panicle with an obvious peduncle ( subg. Chalaria ).................................................................................................8

7. Inflorescence a ± sessile raceme ( subg. Flemingiastrum ) ................................................................................................................9

8. Young branches and inflorescences tomentose with grey hairs and mixed with golden and bulbous-based glandular hairs; leaflets elliptic, lateral veins not depressed on the adaxial surface, with reddish brown glands on the abaxial surface; bracts ovate............. ........................................................................................................................................................................................... F. glutinosa

8. Young branches pubescent with appressed grey hairs, inflorescences tomentose with grey hairs or only glandular hairs; terminal leaflet obovate to obovate-long-elliptic, lateral veins ± depressed on the adaxial surface, with blackish brown glands on the abaxial surface; bracts linear.............................................................................................................................................................. F. lineata

9. Plant produces abundant cauline inflorescences .......................................................................................................... F. yunnanensis

9. Plant does not produce cauline inflorescences .................................................................................................................................10

10. Inflorescences comprising 5–20 flowers ..........................................................................................................................................11

10. Inflorescences comprising 20–many flowers ...................................................................................................................................12

11. Erect shrublets; young branches densely tawny pubescent; terminal leaflets rhomboid, glabrescent adaxially, densely tawny pubescent abaxially ......................................................................................................................................................... F. ferruginea

11. Prostrate shrubs or subshrubs; young branches densely grey tomentose; terminal leaflets oblong or ovate-lanceolate, sparsely pubescent adaxially, densely grey pilose adaxially ........................................................................................................... F. prostrata

12. Abaxial surface of leaflets glabrous, glabrescent, or only hairy along veins...................................................................................13

12. Abaxial surface of leaflets densely hairy..........................................................................................................................................17

13. Calyx lobe much longer than tube....................................................................................................................................................14

13. Calyx lobe ± as long as tube.............................................................................................................................................................15

14. Branchlets terete or slightly grooved; petioles unwinged or slightly winged at apex; terminal leaflet rhombic or rarely elliptic; racemes solitary; bracts persistent; pedicels 1–1.5 mm............................................................................................................. F. weii

14. Branchlets obviously ribbed; petioles narrowly winged; terminal leaflet oblong to oblong-lanceolate; racemes branched at base; bracts caducous; pedicels 3–5 mm........................................................................................................................... F. kweichowensis

15. Stipules usually persistent; lowermost bracts subpersistent, 2–3 times longer than wide ..................................................... F. stricta

15. Stipules usually caducous; lowermost bracts early caducous, 1–2 times longer than wide.............................................................16

16. Petioles grooved but not winged; adaxial surface of leaflets glabrous except for veins, abaxial surface pubescent with silky hairs and dark-brown glands; racemes solitary or branched; corolla dark purple, much longer than calyx......................... F. macrophylla

16. Petioles distinctly winged; adaxial surface of leaflets sparsely hairy, abaxial surface glabrous except for veins, mixed with orangered glands; racemes 3–6 in a cluster; corolla pale green with pink stripes, ± as long as calyx..................................... F. sootepensis

17. Inflorescences covered with ferruginous hairs.................................................................................................................... F. latifolia

17. Inflorescences covered with white or grey hairs ..............................................................................................................................18

18. Inflorescences longer than the petiole of their subtending leaves....................................................................................................19

18. Inflorescences shorter or ± equal to the petiole of their subtending leaves......................................................................................20

19. Dwarf shrubs with stout stems; branchlets glabrescent when old; stipules ensiform; racemes 2–5 (or more) in a cluster; calyx lobe ± as long as tube; corolla pale green to pink, longer than calyx .............................................................................................. F. nana

19. Erect shrubs with slender stems; branchlets covered with dense grey hairs; stipules linear; racemes branched or sometimes compound; calyx lobe much longer than tube; corolla as long as or slightly longer than calyx..................................... F. semialata

20. Branchlets distinctly triangular, densely adpressed villous; petioles 5–13 cm, adpressed villous; adaxial surface of leaflets sparsely hairy, abaxial surface densely adpressed villous and mixed with black glands, lateral veins 7–13 pairs; racemes 3–6 in a cluster; corolla purple........................................................................................................................................................... F. mengpengensis

20. Branchlets subterete with young part densely tomentose; petioles 1.2–3 cm, densely tomentose; adaxial surface of leaflets glabrous, abaxial surface densely pubescent and mixed with orange glands; lateral veins 4–5 pairs; racemes solitary or branched; corolla white ............................................................................................................................................................................. F. grahamiana