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Large-Stipule Wild Gram
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Large-Stipule Wild Gram
A Native Photo: J.M. Garg
Common name: Large-Stipule Wild Gram, Three-lobe-leaf Cowpea • Hindi: मुंगन Mungan, मुगनी Mugani, मुगवन Mugvan • Malayalam: Kattupayar • Marathi: Arkamath, Janglimath, Ranmath • Tamil: Kochilam, Nari payaru • Telugu: Pilli Pesalu
Botanical name: Vigna stipulacea    Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)
Synonyms: Dolichos stipulaceus

Large-Stipule Wild Gram is a trailing, rarely twining herb. Stem angular, very sparsely covered with 0.5 mm long, fine, white hairs. It can be easily distinguished from all other related plants by the presence of large stipules. Leaves are trifoliolate, 6.5-14.0 cm long (including leaf-stalks), stipules large, ovate, pointed at tip, flat or heart-shaped at base, 11.5-4.8 x 5.4-9.5 mm. Leaflets are glossy; end leaflet trilobed, 1.5-2.8 x 1.6-2.7 cm; lateral ones 1.5-2.7 x 1.1-2.5 cm. Flowers are borne in a 4-12-flowered pseudo-raceme in leaf axils. Flower-cluster-stalks are up to 30 cm long, hairless to very sparsely hairy, axis 3.0-8.0 mm long, hairless. Flower-stalks rising up, 1 mm long in flower, 1.5 mm long in fruit. Flowers are shiny clear yellow, with purplish keel tip. Sepal-cup is bell-shaped, 2.5 mm long, tube 2.1 mm long. Standard asymmetric, obliquely and transversely elliptic, 8.2 x 12.3 mm, notched at tip; right wing petal conceals the upper portion of the keel petals, blade 5.5 x 6.5 mm; left wing petal spreading forward, obliquely obovate, 6.4 x 4.8 mm; keel petals are spirally incurved to the left, 8.6 mm long. Fruit is a pod, pods spreading, linear, 4.4-5.6 x 0.2-0.3 cm, sparsely covered with hairs, blackish brown at maturity, 12-14-seeded. Large-Stipule Wild Gram is common in South and Southeast Asia.

Identification credit: Shrikant Ingalhalikar, Milind Girdhari Photographed near Himmat Sagar Lake, Hyderabad.

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