Crotalaria bifaria L.f., Suppl. 322. 1781; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 69. 1876; Sanjappa, Legumes Ind. 117. 1992; Ansari, Crotalaria India 161. 2008.;

Procumbent herbs, up to 30 cm long; stems much branched, terete, slightly striate, softly minutely pubescent. Leaves alternate, subcoriaceous, simple, bifarious, 1.5-4.0 x ca 1 cm, orbicular, elliptic-ovate or oblong-lanceolate, obtuse or rounded at base, obtuse, subacute or retuse at apex, glabrous above, sparsely pubescent beneath especially along the veins, lateral veins 3-4 pairs, arcuate, joining intramarginally; stipules ovate, 3-5 mm long, acuminate at apex, pubescent, reflexed; petioles 1-3 mm long, pubescent. Racemes leaf-opposed or terminal; peduncles 1.5-6.0 cm long, glabrescent, stout. Flowers 1-2, 1.3-1.8 x 0.9-1.0 cm; pedicels 0.5-2.3 cm long, glabrescent, somewhat cernuous, distinctly striate, broadened at the apex; one pedicel longer and thinner in 2-flowered racemes; bracts 2, opposite, below the calyx, ovate-lanceolate or ovate-cordate, 3-8 mm long, acute or acuminate at apex, glabrescent, reflexed; bracteoles 2, minute, below the middle of pedicel. Calyx deeply 5-lobed, tube short, 2-lipped, lobes 1.0-1.2 x ca 0.2 cm, upper lip 2-lobed, lobes lanceolate, acuminate at apex, lower lip 3-lobed, lobes linear-lanceolate, scabro-pubescent, distinctly veined. Petals yellow or rarely bluish, slightly exserted; vexillum obovate or elliptic-ovate, 1.2-1.8 x 0.7-1.0 cm, veins bluish-purple, claw 1-2 mm long, pubescent; wing petals obovate-oblong, 1.0-1.5 x 0.3-0.5 cm; keel petals 1.3-1.6 x ca 0.8 cm, margins ciliate at base, beak long, twisted. Stamens with longer anthers linear, 2-4 mm long and shorter anthers globose, 0.2-0.5 mm long. Ovary subsessile, oblong, 6-7 x ca 1.5 mm, pubescent on one side only; style 7-14 mm long; stigma flat or globose. Pods obovate-oblong, 1-3 x 1.0-1.5 cm, pubescent or minutely appressed hispid, brown or dark-brown (immature green pods with black patches), with persistent style; seeds 6-8, reniform, 3-5 x 3-5 mm, yellowish-brown or blackish, glossy.

Flowering and fruiting: November-March
Wet places and scrub jungles
India and Sri Lanka
(Attributions- Dr. N Sasidharan (Dr. B P Pal Fellow), Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi

 

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Crotalaria bifaria L.f. SN Sep 55 : 1 post by 1 author. Attachments (3).

Crotalaria bifaria L.f., wild prostrate herb from Kelamangalam area of Krishnagiri dt.


I am beginning Fabaceae Fortnight with interesting beautiful legume which I just got identified from Facebook Indian Flora. This is first depiction of beautiful flower on our forum although there are two posts already. It is also not represented on Flowers of India.
Crotalaria bifaria L.f. Suppl. Pl. 332, 1781   
Trailing branched herb with ovate to orbicular leaves, rarely lanceolate; Flower terminal, blue; bract ovate acuminate; calyx 10-15 mm long, lobes linear-lanceolate, anterior 3 cohering at tip, posterior two spreading; corolla longer than calyx, standard yellow outside with purple striations; pod up to 2.5 cm long, oblong, pubescent, 10-15 seeded.
Photographed from Anjana layout, Southern Bangalore, among scrub, on September 21, 2015   


 

 

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Crotalaria species? : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (3)- around 800 kb each. 

For ID. 
Date: 28/09/19
Location : Jawalagiri (near Hosur)
Altitude   : 997 ASL
Habitat.   : wild
Attached are the front, back views and flower of the plant. It seemed peculiar in the sense the right side of the leaves seems to present the back of the flower.


Pl. check comparative images at 


Thank you, … Looks closest to Crotalaria bifaria to me.

To me also appear close as per first glance at 

References:

The Plant List Ver.1.1
 ILDIS  Flora of Ranga Reddi District Andhra Pradesh, India By T. Pullaiah, M. Silar Mohammed (2000- Details with keys) India Biodiversity Portal  

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