Trigonella griffithii Boiss. Fl. Orient.

K., Mittal, R., Dangi, A. H., Mallik, P., Ingle & Shah, F. A., 2023, Preliminary evaluation of the phylogenetic position of Trigonella griffithii (Fabaceae): a newly recorded species to the flora of India, Rheedea 33 (2), pp. 64-73 : 68-70

Trigonella griffithii Boiss. Fl. Orient. 2: 88. 1872. Type: AFGHANISTAN, s.d., W. Griffith 1134 (holo G[G00330462] digital image!; iso CAL [CAL0000024620] digital image!) Fig. 2

Perennial herbs, up to 20–30 cm high. Caudex branched, erect, appressed pilose. Stipules semisagittate, 4–5 mm long, adnate to petiole, base dentate, upper part entire, sparsely pubescent. Petiole 4–7 mm long. Leaves trifoliolate, terminal leaflet 8–10 × 2–5 mm, lateral leaflets 7–9 × 3–4 mm, sub-sessile, obovate with a narrow base, margin distinctly crenulate in upper part, apex apiculate, abaxially sparsely appressed trichomes, adaxially glabrous. Inflorescence 20–25 mm long; pedicel 2–3 mm long; peduncle 20–30 mm long, longer than subtending leaf, pubescent, 7–8-flowered. Calyx 5-lobed, 3–4 mm long, persistent, campanulate; calyx teeth triangular, 1.5–2 mm long, calyx tube 2.5–3 mm long, pilose on outer surface. Corolla yellow. Standard petal 6–8 mm long, obovate, apex round, distinctly clawed, glabrous. Keel petals 6–8 mm long, apex acute, pocket absent, ± as long as standard, glabrous. Wing petals 5–6 mm long, apex rounded, shorter than keel petal, glabrous. Stamens 10, diadelphous, filament persistent. Ovary linear oblong; style shorter than the ovary, filiform, glabrous. Pods lanceolate, 10–12 × 2–4 mm, apex acute, stipitate, exocarp nervation parallel, oblique to longitudinal axis, upper suture carinate, 2–4 seeded. Seeds ovoid, 2–3 mm long, reddish brown.

Flowering & fruiting: Flowering from May to July and fruiting from July to August.

Habitat: Found growing on dry and stony areas.

Distribution: Native to Afghanistan, Kirgizstan, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan and now India.

Specimens examined: AFGHANISTAN, Daulatshah , s.loc., 31.05.1937, W. Koelz 11650 (E00336655). Ghor, Hauz-i-Mahiha, 17.07.1948, Köie & Mogens Engell 2498 (E00336656). Sirotai, 19.06.1937, W. Koelz 11963 (E00336653) . INDIA, Himachal Pradesh, Losar, 26.07.1972, U.C. Bhattacharryya 49012 (CAL0000214436). Jammu and Kashmir, Manasbal Lake , N 34°14’ 49”, E 74°40’18”, 1583 m, 10.09.2018, Dangi 141599 (BSI) . PAKISTAN, Baltistan , 01.07.1892, J.F. Duthie 11733 (CAL0000214435). Other specimens examined: T. cachemiriana : INDIA, Jammu and Kashmir, Bandipora district, Gurez valley, N 34°31’31.08”, E 75°17’20.4”, 2864 m, 09.08.2021, Dangi 141703 (BSI); Budgam district , Doodhpathri, N 33°51’24”, E 74°33’ 48”, 2750 m, 30.08.2021, Dangi & Malik 141702 (BSI). Ladakh, Leh-Kargil road, N 34°23’48”, E 76°18’34”, 3200 m, 27.07.2019, Dangi & Malik 141562 (BSI). T. gracilis : INDIA, Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Hama River glacier, N 33°41’ 00”, E 74°43’00”, 05.08.2020, Dangi 141605 (BSI). T. emodi var. fimbriata : INDIA, Himachal Pradesh, Kullu, Rohtang viewpoint, N 32°21’54”, E 77°14’30”, 2050 m, 15.08.2019, Dangi & Ingle 141563 (BSI) T. emodi : Jammu and Kashmir, Shopian district , Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary , 12 km from Shopian , N 33°41’00”, E 74°43’00”, 2800 m, 18.07.2020, Dangi & Malik 141603 (BSI) .

Conservation status: According to the IUCN Red List Categories version 14 ( IUCN, 2022) this taxon has been provisionally assessed here as Data Deficient (DD). Despite exhaustive and consecutive effort to various locations from 2018 to 2020, only a single population of T. griffithii was located.

Figures

Fig. 2. a–e. Trigonella griffithii Boiss.: a. Stipule; b. Standard; c. Keel; d. Wing; e. Pod. f–j. T. cachemiriana Camb.: f. Stipule; g. Standard; h. Keel; i. Wing; j. Pod. k–o. T. emodi Benth.: k. Stipule; l. Standard; m. Keel; n. Wing; o. Pod. p–t. T. gracilis Benth.: p. Stipule; q. Standard; r. Keel; S. Wing; t. Pod. u–x. T. emodi Benth. var. fimbriata (Royal ex Benth.) Širj.: u. Stipule; v. Standard; w. Keel; x. Wing. Scale bars a-x = 200 µm. (a–e from Dangi 141599; f–j from Dangi & Malik 141702; k–o from Dangi & Malik 141603; p–t from Dangi 141605; u–x from Dangi & Ingle 141563; photos by K. Mittal)