Alysicarpus tetragonolobus Edgew. var. micranthus Dalavi, Mane, & S.R.Yadav, 2021

J. V., Dalavi, S. P., Bramhadande, R. N., Mane, P. R., Mane & Yadav, S. R., 2021, Two new varieties of Alysicarpus (Fabaceae) from Peninsular India, Rheedea 31 (1), pp. 25-30 : 26-29

Alysicarpus tetragonolobus Edgew. var. micranthus Dalavi, Mane, & S.R.Yadav var. nov.

Fig. 2

Closely allied to A. tetragonolobus Edgew. var. tetragonolobus but differs by its racemes (congested vs. elongated), flowers (4-6 mm across vs.> 8 mm across), corolla (included in the calyx vs. exserted from calyx), standard petal (longer than broad vs. broader than long), claw (nearly equal to limb vs. much smaller than limb) and articles of pods (longer than broad vs. as long as or broader than long).

Type: INDIA, Maharashtra, Kolhapur district, Ujalaiwadi , N 16.662947, E 74.27649112, 12.11.2020, J.V. Dalavi, R.N. Mane & S.R. Yadav JVD-1393 (holo CAL!; iso CAL!, SUK! & BSI!) .

Annual, sub-erect, sparingly branched herbs, to 15– 30 cm high. Stems sparingly branched, terete, with woody root stock, c. 0.3 cm in diam., minutely hairy to glabrous, with distinct nodes due to remnants of scarious stipules and stipels, internodes as long as or longer than leaves. Leaves unifoliolate, ovate, oblong to elliptic, 1–2.5 × 0.25–0.5 cm, thick, rounded at base, sub–acute at apex, glabrous to pilose at both the surfaces, green above pale beneath; stipules scarious, c. 4 × 1 mm, striated, acute at apex, ciliate and deltoid along margin; stipels lanceolate, c. 2 mm long, striated, ciliated and minutely deltoid at margins; petioles c. 0.25 cm long, sparsely ciliate. Inflorescence congetsed, unbranched racemes, 2– 4.5 cm long. Flowers 0.4–0.6 cm across; pedicel 1.5–2 mm, straight, sparse ciliate; bracts broad ovate, c. 2.5 × 1.5 mm, acute to acuminate at apex, striate, ciliate throughout; bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 1– 1.2 × c. 0.5 mm, striate, ciliate, green. Calyx 4–5 × 6.5–7 mm when fully dissected; sepals 5, scarious, connate at base, anterior two sepals united forming a deep notch in the middle; posterior one and lateral two ovate, acute to acuminate at apex; ciliate outside, striate. Corolla 4–6 mm across, as long as or shorter than calyx, mono-coloured, pink; standard petals narrow-ovate, c. 3 × 2 mm, longer than broad, claw as long as limb, triangular, limb shallowly notched at apex, pink; wing petals narrow ovate to elliptic, c. 3 × 1.5 mm, clawed; keel petals boat shaped c. 2.5 × 0.5 mm, pink. Stamens diadelphous (9+1); staminal column c. 2.5-3 mm long; filaments glabrous. Gynoecium c. 3 mm long; ovary elongated, sub-terete, style curved, stigma capitate. Pods, 1–2.5 cm long, beaded, tetragonolobus, articles longer than broader, deeply reticulated, straw coloured. Seeds ovate, spherical to ovate-elongate, 1-1.5 × 1 mm, slightly compressed.

Flowering & fruiting: Flowering from September to November and fruiting from October to January.

Habitat: Common in open grasslands in association with Aeschynomene aspera L., Alysicarpus bupleurifolius (L.) DC., A. naikianus Pokle , A. tetragonolobus , A. vaginalis (L.) DC., Mimosa pudica L. (all Fabaceae ), Alternanthera tenella Colla ( Amaranthaceae ), Dichanthium annulatum (Forssk.) Stapf. and Eragrostis unioloides (Retz.) Nees (both Poaceae ).

Etymology: The variety epithet ‘micranthus’ refers to the character of the flowers, which in the variety are very small and included in the calyx (micro= small, anthus= flower).

Distribution: Endemic to India.

Conservation status: This variety is only reported from its type locality and is uncommon in open grasslands. Since data on population and distribution is not available, it is provisionally assessed here as Data Deficient (DD) ( IUCN, 2019).

Notes: It was observed that all flowers produced pods and it is suspected that the variety is adapted to self-pollination breeding, which, however, needs further detailed investigations.

Key to the varieties of Alysicarpus tetragonolobus

1. Pods falcate or sickle-shaped, beak non-articulated ..................................... var. falcatus

1. Pods straight, beak articulated ...................... 2

2. Corolla included in calyx........ var. micranthus

2. Corolla exserted from calyx .......................... 3

3. Leaves ovate-oblong, few upper leaves linear; inflorescence many flowered; pod articles turgid .................................. var. tetragonolobus

3. Leaves linear, few lower leaves ovate; inflorescence few flowered; pod articles flattened .................................. var. pashanensis

Figures

Fig. 2. Images of Alysicarpus tetragonolobus var. micranthus Dalavi, Mane & S.R.Yadav (A-c, e, g-k, m, n, o) and Alysicarpus tetragonolobus Edgew. (D, f, l, m): A. Habit; b. Stipule and stipels; c & D. Inflorescence; e & f. Flower; g. Bract and bracteoles; h. Calyx; i. dissected corolla; j. Androecium; k & l. Gynoecium; m & n. Pods; o. Seeds (from JVD-1393; photos by J.V. Dalavi).