Ohwia caudata (Thunb.) H.Ohashi, Sci. Rep. Tohoku Imp. Univ., Ser. 4, Biol. 40: 243 (1999) (syn: Catenaria caudata (Thunb.) Schindl. ; Catenaria laburnifolia (Poir.) Benth.; Desmodium cateniferum Arn.; Desmodium caudatum (Thunb.) DC. ; Desmodium laburnifolium (Poir.) DC.; Hedysarum caudatum Thunb. ; Hedysarum laburnifolium Poir. ; Meibomia caudata (Thunb.) Kuntze; Meibomia laburnifolia (Poir.) Kuntze);
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Himalaya to S. Central & S. Japan and W. Malesia: Assam, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, India, Japan, Jawa, Korea, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam, West Himalaya as per POWO;
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Much branched erect subshrubs or shrubs, usually 30-100cm high; rootstock woody; stem branched, slender, terete, glabrescent. Leaves 3-foliolate; terminal leaflets 5-8 x 1.5-2.5 cm, lateral leaflets a little smaller than terminal ones, narrowly ovate, acute at the apex, sessile subcoriaceous, glabrescent or sparsely puberulous especially on the midrib; lateral nerves not reaching the margin; stipels scariose, striate, filiform, acuminate at the apex, pilose, 2-5 mm long; petiolules to 1.5 cm long; stipules persistent, scariose, striate, narrowly triangular, cuspidate at the apex, 5-10 mm long, ciliate, sparsely pilose on the back. Inflorescence terminal and axillary, racemose or paniculate, up to 30 cm long; rachides densely pubescent; pedicels 3-4 mm long, densely appressed-pilose; bracts persistent, subulate, about 3 mm long; bracteoles two, near the base of the calyx, about 1 mm long, appressed-pubescent on the back. Calyx narrowly campanulate, 3.5-4.5 mm long, appressed-pilose, upper two lobes united for ¾ or more of their length, the others narrowly triangular, about 2 mm long and up to 1 mm wide at the base. Petals pale greenish-or yellowish-white, distinctly veined; standard elliptic, 6-6.5 mm long and 3.5-4 mm wide, rounded or slightly retuse at the apex, minutely clawed, slightly auriculate; wings conspicuously smaller than the keel-petals, about 5 mm long and 1-1.2 mm wide. Stamens diadelphous. Ovary 7 mm long, stipitate, densely appressed-pilose on the both sutures; style incurved nearly at a right angle in the middle. Pods linear, flat, sessile, 4-7 jointed, both sutures equally undulate; articles narrowly elliptic, equally tapering to both ends, 8-10 x 4-5 mm, densely covered with short uncinate brown hairs; seeds transversely narrowly elliptic, about 3 x 8.5-9.5 mm.
Flowering and fruiting: September-January
Near water course
(Attributions: Dr. N Sasidharan (Dr. B P Pal Fellow), Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi as per India Biodiversity Portal)
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Fabaceae for identification DDB2: 3 very high res. images.
Posting again as clubbed with another post due to same subject:
Help me identify this Fabaceae member
Photographed in Behali Reserve Forest, Biswanath, Assam on 16 October 2018.
The forest type is Semi Evergreen.
Could not find a match or clue as per comparative images at
https://efloraofindia.com/2011/01/18/fabaceae/
Flowers appear like those of Crotalaria.
It looks like Desmodium.
It might be Desmodium caudatum syn. Ohwia caudata recorded from Assam.
Yes, appears close to images and details at Researchgate, POWO, Wikimedia Commons, ILDIS
Yes … I agree with this name.
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References:
POWO Catalogue of Life Researchgate, Wikimedia Commons, ILDIS Bhutan Biodiveristy Portal Flora of Eastern Ghats India Biodiversity Portal Wikipedia PFAF Flora fauna web
