Crotalaria luteopurpurea (Fabaceae), a new elegant rattlepod from drylands of Karnataka, India

Abstract

Crotalaria luteopurpurea Dalavi et al. is described with photo-plate here as a new species from Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It is an annual, procumbent, sparingly branched herb with dimorphic leaves, usually solitary flowers, bicolored corolla (standard petals bright yellow on both surfaces, wing petals purple with yellow nectar guides), densely hirsute blotched pods and polished seeds with mottled testa. The newly proposed species grows sympatrically with C. bifaria L.f. and maintains consistent differences without any intermediate form. The blooming time of flowers also differs in both species (C. bifaria flowers open in the early day hours and close in the evening whereas C. luteopurpurea flowers bloom in the late afternoon or evening hours and remain open whole night). Due to this reproductive isolation, we could not collect any intermediate forms between these species. The new species is described with informative photo plates, identification keys and ecological notes.