Clitoria ternatea
This species is grown as a green manure and as an ornamental. It is very widely distributed throughout the tropics such that the native distribution is now obscure. [1]
References
- , Flora of China : Fabaceae ; Clitoria, vol. 10. Beijing: Science Press Beijing & MBG Press, 2010, p. 642.
Perennial herbs. Stems terete, twining, slender, 1 – 3 mm in diameters, internode,
5 – 15 cm. Leaves, odd-pinnately, usually, 5- and 7-foliate, membranous, green, petioles, shorter than rachis, salcate, strigose pubescence 1 – 4 cm, rarely densely deciduous shortly villous, rachis, pubescence, 2 – 7 cm ; stipules, persistent, small linear, 2-10 by 0.5-1 mm, pubescence, strigose-ciliate. Leaflets, polymorphic; petiolules, sub quadrangular, 1-3 mm, uncinate pubescence, densely strigose; stipels, persistent, slender or reduced to nerve, uncinate pubescence; lamina broadly elliptic or almost ovate, oblong, oblong-lanceolate, or oblong-linear, 1 – 5 (7) by 1 – 3.5 cm, apex obtuse or acute, sometimes mucronate or retuse-emarginate, base cuneate or rotund, primary nerves, 4-6 pairs to 1-9 pairs, upper surface, shortly villous , strigose-pubescence or glabrate, lower surface, strigose, short uncinate trichomes. Inflorescence, axillary, solitary, sometimes, biflowered; peducles, 0.3 – 1.5 cm, strigose to glabrate ; bract, outer pair, ovate to lanceolate, acuminate to acute, 2 – 4 (5) by 1 mm, pubescence uncinate, ciliate, bracteoles, conspicuous, (4) 6-11 (15) by (4) 6-11 (15) mm , membranous, broadly obovate to orbicular, shorter than calyx tube, pubescence uncinate strigose, ciliate, reticulate veins; Flowers, pale blue to deep blue to violet or white, 3.5 - 5.5 cm, usually papilionaceous sometime actinomorphic (double flower). Calyx tube, membranous, 10-nerved, pubescence uncinate with trichromes, 0.8 – 2 cm by 0.3 - 0.4 cm at base, 0.6 - 0.9 cm at throat, 5-lobed; lobes oblong or lanceolate, apex rounded-acuminate, less than 1/2 of tube, 7 – 12 by 3 mm, Corolla, violet, deep blue, sky blue , pale blue, pink, or white, Zygomorphic flower, standard, pubescence, uncinate and strigose upper surface, white or yellow in middle of throat, broadly obovate, 2 – 4 cm wide, claw 2-4 mm, wing obovate-ob¬long, extended beyond keel 6-10 mm, blade white or blue, 1.7-2.8 by 0.7-1.3 cm, claw 1.4-1.8 cm, keel elliptic, falcate, 7-10 by 4-6 mm, claw 14-18 mm. Stamen tube, 16-20 mm, incurved 3-5 mm, free filament 3-4 mm, anther lanceolate, 1-1.5 by 0.6-0.9 mm, gynophore 1-2 mm, Ovary 6-9 by 1-1.5 mm pubescence, densely white, style 14-17 mm, base pubescence, long white hair near apex, stigma capitate, 0-7-0.8 mm in diameter. Actinomorphic flower, all petals seems standard, stamen ten all free or 2-3 fascicles. Pod subsessile, yellow to green becoming light brown, flat, linear-ob¬long, ecostate, pubescence, strigose uncinate, 7-11 by 0.8-1.1 cm, stipe, enclose along with pod base , 1-2 mm, beak 2-6mm, Seeds, brown to black, smooth, subreniform, or oblong, compressed, 4-5 by 5-6 mm, 1.5-5 mm thick, 6-10 seeds per pod.