FoI
Indian Nesphostylis
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Indian Nesphostylis
ative Photo: Dinesh Valke
Common name: Indian Nesphostylis • Marathi: भेंद्री bhendri, रान पावटा raan pavata
Botanical name: Nesphostylis bracteata    Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)
Synonyms: Dolichos bracteatus, Dolichos ghaticus, Sphenostylis bracteata

Indian Nesphostylis is a perennial climbing herb. Leaves are trifoliate. Stipules are small, channeled. Flowers are borne solitary in leaf axils. Sepals are 5, but upper ones are fused. Flowers are large, blue or purple - standard petal is hairless, eared and with appendages at base. Vexillary stamen free, with a tooth-like appendage at base; filaments dilated at apex; anthers similar in size, but 5 basifixed and 5 subdorsifixed. Ovary is linear, many-ovuled, velvety; style slightly twisted, flattening into a wedge shape at apex, with a ring of hairs directly below terminal stigma. Pods are linear, compressed, many-seeded.

Identification credit: Shrikant Ingalhalikar
Photographed at Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra.
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