Mucuna bracteata Roxb. ex Kurz

Wiriadinata, H., Ohashi, H. & Adema, F., 2016, Notes on Malesian Fabaceae (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) 16. The genus Mucuna, Blumea 61 (2), pp. 90-124 : 105-106

8. Mucuna bracteata Roxb. ex Kurz

Mucuna bracteata Roxb.ex Kurz (1873) 231; [ Carpopogon bracteatum Roxb. (1814) 54, nom. nud.]; Wilmot-Dear (1984) 59. — Type: J. Roxburgh s.n. (n.v.), India, Chittagong.

Distribution — India, Burma, China (Yunnan), Thailand,

Laos, Vietnam; Malesia: Sumatra.

Habitat & Ecology — Forest, thickets, open grasslands, along paths and streams. Altitude 600–2000 m. Flowering: January, July, November, December; fruiting: February, May, October.

Note — Wilmot-Dear (1984) gives 2 flowers per brachyblast. However, the structure of the inflorescence is a bit more com- plicated. Often there are two or three flowers at the top of a brachyblast, but sometimes the brachyblasts are slightly longer with one flower at the base and two or three flowers at the top of a very short lateral branch. The whole inflorescence than looks a bit like a mix of a pseudoraceme and a pseudopanicle. According to Wilmot-Dear (1984) De Candolle is the author of the epithet of this species. However, De Candolle (1825: 406) did not describe or name the species. He only placed Roxburgh’s name for an Indian plant in Mucuna . Kurz (1873) was the first to describe this species attributing the species name to Roxburgh. Roxburgh (1814) cites as ‘donor’ of the specimen J.R. (= James Roxburgh) and as place of collection Chittagong. Bracts and bracteoles are mostly caducous, however, some of the basal sterile bracts may be still present when fruiting. Young pods are ± S-shaped, mature pods are nearly straight.