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Sal Leaved Desmodium
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Sal Leaved Desmodium
ative Photo: Dinesh Valke
Common name: Sal Leaved Desmodium • Hindi: ध्रुवा Dhruva, दीर्घमूली Dirghamuli, पीवरी Pivari, सालपानी Salpani, शालपर्णी Shalparni • Manipuri: ꯄꯣꯔꯣꯡꯈꯣꯛ Porongkhok • Marathi: डाय Dai, रानगांज्या ranganjya, साळवण Salvan • Tamil: புள்ளடி Pullati • Malayalam: ഓരില Orila • Telugu: గీతనారము Gitanaramu • Kannada: ಮೂಱೆಲೆಹೊನ್ನೆ, ಮೂರೆಲೆಹೊನ್ನೆ Murelehonne • Bengali: chalani, Salpani • Oriya: Salaparni • Konkani: सालपर्णी Salparni • Nepali: वन गहत Ban Gahat, शलपार्णी Shalapaarnee • Gujarati: સલવાન Salwan • Sanskrit: अंशुमती Anshumati, ध्रुवा Dhruva, दीर्घमूला Dirghamoola, पीवरी Pivari, शालपर्णी Shalaparni
Botanical name: Pleurolobus gangeticus    Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)
Synonyms: Desmodium gangeticum, Hedysarum gangeticum
Sal Leaved Desmodium is a coarse herb, growing up to 1.5 m tall, somewhat woody near base. Leaves are simple, which is uncommon for a Desmodium species, ovate- or elliptic, with a narrow tip, obtuse at base, 1.2-15.5 cm long, 0.9-5 cm wide. Leaf stalks are 0.4-2 cm long. Pea-flower shaped flowers are borne in racemes at the end of branches, or in leaf axils. Racemes are generally very long. Flowers are variable in colour, probably vary from one region to the other, white to red or purple or a combination such as pink and purple or mauve and white. Sepal cup is pale green, tinged reddish. Fruits are almost stalkless, up to 7-8-jointed. Sal Leaved Desmodium is found in Tropical & Subtropical Africa and South Asia to Australia. It is also found in the Himalayan foothills till altitudes of 1000 m.
Identification credit: Dinesh Valke Photographed at Yeoor Hills, Thane, Maharashtra & Green Park City Forest, Delhi.
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