Reinstatement and lectotypification of Alysicarpus procumbens (Papilionoideae, Leguminosae/Fabaceae), an Indian endemic legume

Abstract

Alysicarpus procumbens (Desmodieae, Leguminosae/Fabaceae), is a for the genus highly unique species. It resembles Desmodium in its peculiarly compressed pod, but is similar to Alysicarpus in having uni‐foliolate leaves (sometimes mixed one and three‐foliolate), scarious stipules, ebracteolate flowers, scarious persistent calyx and by the nature of the flowers. Still, A. procumbens has been treated as synonym A. hamosus. After examination of type material, the protologue and a large number of specimens deposited in different herbaria, as well as fresh collections of both species, it is concluded that A. procumbens distinctly differ from A. hamosus not only in the compressed pod, but also in the shape of leaves, broadness of pod joints, internally septate pods, the nature of pod breakage and shape of seeds. Based on these distinct morphological characters, A. procumbens is reinstated as a species. A colour drawing is designated as the lectotype of A. procumbens. A detailed description along with an illustration, color photographs of live plant and a comparison with A. hamosus are provided.