Flemingia

Taxonomic revision of the genus Flemingia (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae) in India (pdf)- Sandip Kisan Gavade, Laurentius Josephus Gerardus van der Maesen, Manoj Madhwanand Lekhak- November 2020 Webbia 75(2):141-218. (Abstract: Indian Flemingia species are grouped under five subgenera, namely Chalaria, Flemingiastrum, Lepidocoma, Ostryodium and Rhynchosioides. Here, we revise the taxonomy of the genus (excluding subg. Rhynchosioides) based on the study of live material and preserved specimens. We report 21 species and one variety (22 taxa) in India, of which one variety is endemic, i.e. F. praecox var. robusta. All the taxa have been described, illustrated and their ecology discussed. In the process, twelve binomials (F. angustifolia, F. blancoana, F. chappar, F. congesta, F. grahamiana, F. latifolia, F. macrophylla, F. nudiflora, F. paniculata, F. stricta, F. wallichii and F. wightiana) and one trinomial (F. praecox var. robusta) are lectotypified. F. sericans and F. stricta subsp. pteropus are proposed as new synonyms for F. macrophylla and F. stricta, respectively. F. parviflora, an Australian species, is recorded for India. F. strobilifera var. nudiflora is raised to the species level and a new combination proposed, i.e. F. nudiflora. F. tiliacea is relegated to the synonymy of F. nudiflora. A taxonomic key for the subgenera and species therein is provided for easy identification. Additionally, distributional maps for the genus and species are given.)

Key to the species of subg. Flemingiastrum (Distribution):
1. Leaflets linear, oblong or lanceolate, longer than 1.8 cm .. 2
1.Leaflets obovate, small, shorter than 1.8 cm ….13
2. Leaflets twice as long as broad … 3
2. Leaflets thrice as long as broad ….. 10
3. Abaxial side of leaflets hairy …. 8
3. Abaxial side of leaflets glabrous … 4
4. Stipules small, up to 2.6(-4) x 0.4(-0.5) cm; bracts shorter than flowers…..5
4. Stipules large, up to 10 x 2.5 cm; bracts longer than flowers ….. F. stricta (Bangladesh, Cambodia, China (Guangdong, Yunnan), India (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura and West Bengal), Indonesia (Java), Jamaica, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam)
5. Racemes longer than the petiole; petiole winged …… 6
5. Racemes shorter than the petiole; petiole grooved …….. F. macrophylla (Africa: introduced in Mauritius, Uganda. Amer– ica: introduced in Florida, Guadeloupe. Asia: Bangla– desh, Bhutan, China (Hainan, Kwangsi, Kwangtung, Szechwan, Yunnan), India (Assam, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal), Indonesia (Java, Kali– mantan, Seram, Sumatra), Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. Australia (Queensland))
6. Pod sparsely gland-dotted ……. 7
6. Pod densely gland-dotted …….. F. sootepensis (Asia: China (Guangdong, Yunnan), India (Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra), Laos, Malaysia (Penang), Myanmar and Thailand)
7. Stipules, bracts and calyx grey tomentose, leafets narrow-ovate-elliptic ….. F. semialata (Asia: Bangladesh, China (Guangdong, Hongkong, Szechwan, Yunnan), India (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and West Bengal), Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam. Australia: introduced in Queensland. Africa: introduced in PR Congo)
7. Stipules, bracts and calyx conspicuously rusty tomentose, leafets broad-ovate …… F. latifolia (China (Kwangtung and Yunnan), India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram), Indonesia (Java), Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam)
8. Pods not included within the calyx ……..9
8. Pods included within the calyx …..F. wallichii (Asia: China (Yunnan), India (Andhra Pradesh, Kar–nataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu), Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam)
9. Stipules persistent …..F. grahamiana (Africa: Kenya, Uganda to Zimbabwe and South Africa. Asia: India (Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu))
9. Stipules caducous …….. F. wightiana (Asia: Bhutan, India (Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa and Tamil Nadu)
10. Leaflets hairy, with acute or obtuse apex …. 11
10. Leaflets glabrous, with acuminate apex …….. F. praecox var. robusta (Asia: India (Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh))
11. Leaflets linear-lanceolate …… 12
11. Leaflets oblong …… F. prostrata (India (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand), Bangladesh, China (Hup–eh, Kiangsi, Kwangtung, Kweichow, Sechuan, Yunnan), Myanmar, Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam)
12. Inflorescence with 22-25 flowers, equal or longer than petiole ……. F. angustifolia (Asia: India (Meghalaya and Jharkhand))
12. Inflorescence with 5-10 flowers, shorter than petiole ……. F. parviflora (Flemingia parviflora was known from Northern Australia only (ILDIS 2005). It has not been reported earlier from India. We collected F. parviora from Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra state)
13. Petioles shorter than leaflets …. F. procumbens (Asia: India (Assam and Uttar Pradesh))
13. Petioles longer than leaflets ……. F. nana (Asia: India (Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maha–rashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand))

.
Flemingia bracteata (Roxb.) Wight (Indian Subcontinent to China (Yunnan, Guangdong) and Indo-China: Assam, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, West Himalaya as per POWO) (Flemingia bracteata based on its persistent falcate stipule, leaf shape and short petiole)

 

Flemingia chappar Benth. 

Image by D S Rawat

Flemingia fruticulosa Wall. ex Benth. (Indian Subcontinent to China (Yunnan): Assam, China South-Central, India, Nepal, Pakistan, West Himalaya as per POWO) (As per efi thread: Flemingia fruticulosa is allied to Flemingia  strobilifera but differs from it by its trailing habit,  short petiole, ovate-elliptic leaflets and persistent stipules.  In this name specific epithet “fruticulosa” refers to trailing shrubby habit of this species)
    

Flemingia gracilis (Mukerjee) Ali –
As per efi thread: F. gracilis : as leaves nigro-punctate beneath; F. nilgheriensis: as not nigro-punctate beneath 

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/F.lineata_DSR_1.JPG

Flemingia macrophylla (Willd.) Merr. – (Keys as per book in Flora of peninsular India: F. semialata calyx is eglandular and in F. macrophylla, it is glandular)

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC_0402%20copy-7.JPG/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC_0401%20copy.JPG/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC_0400%20copy-1.JPG/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC_0398%20copy-6.JPG
/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Z%20072.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Z%20073.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Z%20071.jpg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Z%20074.jpg

Flemingia nana Roxb. ex W.T.Aiton (Indian Subcontinent to Thailand, Hainan: Hainan, India, Myanmar, Thailand, West Himalaya as per POWO)

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Jameen%20palash%20Fruit.JPG/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Jameen%20palash%20Habit.JPG/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Jameen%20palash%20Inflorescence.JPG

Flemingia nilgiriensis (Baker) Wight ex T.Cooke – As per efi thread: F. gracilis : as leaves nigro-punctate beneath; F. nilgheriensis: as not nigro-punctate beneath 

Images by Nidhan Singh, Anil Thakur, Ashwini Bhatia & D S Rawat 

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/for%20id%20-2--2.JPG/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSCN2471.JPG

Flemingia prostrata Roxb. (Indian Subcontinent to S. China and Indo-China, Nansei-shoto to Hainan and Philippines: Assam, Bangladesh, China South-Central, China Southeast, Hainan, India, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, West Himalaya as per POWO)
 

Flemingia semialata Roxb. – (Keys as per book in Flora of peninsular India: F. semialata calyx is eglandular and in F. macrophylla, it is glandular.)

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Flemingia%20macrophylla%20-6-.JPG/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Flemingia-semialata-Chakrata%20Tiger%20fall%20area-DSC01449-a.jpg
/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Flemingia%20semialata%20-1-.JPG
/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Flemingia%20semialata%20-2-.JPG
/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Flemingia%20semialata%20-5-.JPG
/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Flemingia%20semialata%20-3-.JPG
/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Flemingia%20semialata.JPG
images by Pravin Kawale

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC06805.JPG/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC06796.JPG/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC06802.JPG/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC06806.JPG
.
Keys in Flora of Bhutan:
1. Leaves simple …… ..2
+ Leaves 3-foliate ……. ..3
2. Bracts ovate, deciduous, flowers visible ….3. F. paniculata
+ Bracts suborbicular, persistent, enfolding and obscuring flowers ……. Species 1 (F. strobilifera (L.) Aiton) & 2 (F. fruticulosa Bentham)  
3. Flowers in rounded heads surrounded by brown persistent bracts …… 4. F. involucrata
+ Flowers in short or long racemes or panicles, bracts deciduous ………… 4
4. Shrub almost leafless at flowering time; petals yellow …….. 7. F. bhutanica
+ Shrubs, leafy at flowering time; petals pink or blue-purple ….. Species 5 (F. macrophylla (Willdenow) Merrill) & 6 (F. stricta Roxb.)
.
Sanjappa (1992) in his document Legumes of India (published by BSMP, Dehradun) have mention following species of Flemingia in India-
1-Flemingia chappar,
2-F.gracilis,
3-F.grahamiana,
4-F.involucrata,
5-F.lineata,
6-F.macrophylla,
7-F.nilgheriensis,
8-F.paniculata,
9-F.praecox (var. robusta, var. praecox),
10-F.procumbens,
11-F.rollae,
12-F.semialata
13-F.stricta,
14-F.strobilifera,
15-F.tuberosa,
16-F.wallichii,
17-F.wightiana.
Flemingia gracilis (Mukerjee) Ali is mentioned as “Rare” in Red Data Book of Indian Plants Vol-3 (page 137-138, line diagram provided) by Nayar and Sastry (1990).   

.

From Floral Database of Tamilnadu :

Binomial Habit Notes Ref. Distrib.
Flemingia
grahamiana Wight & Arn.		 Shrub Western Ghats,
Evergreen Forests		 Flora of Tamil
Nadu, VOL. I, 1983; Matthew, 1983		 Coimbatore,
Dindigul,  Nilgiri, Theni
Flemingia lineata (L.) Roxb. Ex Ait. Herb Western
Ghats, Evergreen Forests		 Flora
of Tamil Nadu, VOL. I, 1983; Gamble, 1957		 Nilgiri
Flemingia macrophylla (Willd.) Prain ex
Merr.		 Shrub Dry
Evergreen to Dry Deciduous Forests		 Flora
of Tamil Nadu, VOL. I, 1983; Matthew, 1983		 Dharmapuri,
Nilgiri, Salem
Flemingia nilgheriensis (Baker) Wight ex
Cooke		 Herb Western
Ghats, Evergreen Forests		 Flora
of Tamil Nadu, VOL. I, 1983; Gamble, 1957		 Coimbatore,
Dindigul, Nilgiri
Flemingia semialata Roxb. Shrub Western
Ghats, Evergreen Forests		 Flora
of Tamil Nadu, VOL. I, 1983		 Coimbatore,
Kanniya kumari, Nilgiri
Flemingia stricta Roxb. Shrub Western
Ghats, Evergreen		 Flora
of Tamil Nadu, VOL. I, 1983		 Nilgiri
Flemingia strobilifera (L.) R. Br. ex Ait. Shrub Western
Ghats & Eastern Ghats, Moist Deciduous to Evergreen Forests		 Flora
of Tamil Nadu, VOL. I, 1983; Matthew, 1983		 Coimbatore,
Nilgiri, Salem, Tirunelveli
Flemingia tuberosa Dalz. Herb Western
Ghats, Evergreen Forests		 Flora
of Tamil Nadu, VOL. I, 1983		 Nilgiri
Flemingia wallichii Wight & Arn. is a synonym of Flemingia macrophylla (Willd.) Merr. Shrub Western
Ghats, Evergreen Forests		 Flora
of Tamil Nadu, VOL. I, 1983		 Coimbatore,
Nilgiri
Flemingia wightiana Grahams ex Wight &
Arn. 		Shrub Western
Ghats & Eastern Ghats, Moist Deciduous Forests		 Flora
of Tamil Nadu, VOL. I, 1983		 Coimbatore,
Dindigul, Nilgiri, Salem, Tirunelveli, Virudhu nagar
.
.
Botanical name Synonyms Family Common name
Flemingia gracilis Fabaceae Slender Flemingia
Flemingia semialata Moghania semialata, Flemingia congesta var. semialata Fabaceae Winged-Stalk Flemingia
Flemingia strobilifera Fabaceae Wild Hops
Flemingia tuberosa Moghania tuberosa Fabaceae Tuberous Flemingia
.
.
.
Forest Plants of Eastern India By Amal Bhusan Chaudhuri (1993)- Brief details with Keys– p.206-
Flemingia :  3 posts by 2 authors.

I have updated eFI (efloraofindia) page on Flemingia

Attempts have been made to incorporate most of the species available in India & nearby areas with details & keys directly or through links as far as possible. It’s quite possible that there may be some discrepancy in the accepted names & synonyms taken from other links.

Species discussed so far in efloraofindia are given at the bottom of the page in the form of links against Subpages. On clicking them one can see all the details.

If someone can provide complete list of Indian species with source references it will be wonderful.

Any comments/ corrections are welcome

I have added list of known species of Flemingia in India.

.

Flemingia page with images of species in efloraofindia : 1 post by 1 author.

Pl. go through Flemingia page with images of species (done by …) in efloraofindia.

If you find any mis-identification, pl. let us know.

If anybody can send images of other species of this genera (for incorporation in the website), if any, it will be really nice. Also, if anybody is interested to take up the activity of inserting images on efloraofindia pages from efloraofindia posts, pl. let me know.

.

Flemingia (‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎Fabaceae (Leguminosae)‎) page with images of species in efloraofindia : 1 post by 1 author.

Pl. go through Flemingia (‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎Fabaceae (Leguminosae)‎) page with images of species (done by me) in efloraofindia.

If you find any incorrect identification, pl. let us know. If anybody can send images of other species of this genera (for incorporation in the website), if any, or can identify unidentified images, it will be really nice.