Description
Prostrate or ascending annual, 50–80 cm tall herbs. Stem profusely
branched at the base, branches lax above, ca 3.2 mm across. Leaves
leaves simple, alternate, usually ovate or cordate, entire, nerves
obscure, slightly emerginate, mucronate and intermixed with apiculate
mucurate, apex, 6–20 × 5–15 mm, velvety white hairy; hairs centrifixed
or subcentrifixed, or with equal or unequal arms, 2–5 ramous on both
surfaces of leaves, margins hairy; stipule somewhat tri-agular, 1 – 1.6
mm long, not adnate to petiole, covered with elongate ciliate hairy,
persistent. hairy. Inflorescence 1–6-flowered capitate racemes; bracts
minute, hairy; flowers papilionaceous, pentamerous; pedicel minute,
1–1.5 mm long; calyx 5-lobed, tube short, cup-like, sepals subequal,
narrow, 2.8–3.2 mm long, hairy, hairs spreading, persistent; corolla
pretty, pinkish-red, standard obovate or rounded above, narrow towards
base, longer than width, spathlate, minutely hairy on back, persistent,
wings as long as the keel, adherent to keel; keel gently curved, 1.5-
2.7 mm long, somewhat gibbus, lateral pocket like spur or pouch on outer
side, minute, acute glabrous. Androecium with ten stamens, diadelphous,
(nine stamens fused and the vexillary one slightly shorter, free),
staminal tube ca 2.4 mm long, anthers subglobose with mucro tips,
minutely glandular at apex, basifixed, light yellow. Ovary sessile,
usually one rarely two ovuled, style inflexed, stigma capitate. Pods
dehiscent, densely white appressed hairy, usually globose, 1-seeded,
apex straight, occasionally 2-seeded, oblong, apex slightly angled, soft
septa appears between the seeds; seeds dehiscent, rounded, ellipsoides
or trianguar, pitted, equal or subequal, homomorphic in globose bright
light yellow in 1- seeded per pod, pits smaller and heteromorphic
reddish brown when the pod 2-seeded per pod, pits larger, rarely
mottled.
Phenology: Flowering and fruiting from September to November