Eastern Rattlepod is an erect herb, up to 2 m tall.
Branches are 4-angled, silky velvety. Stipules are linear to
linear-lanceshaped, 4-5 mm. Leaves are simple, carried on about 4 mm
long stalks. Leaves are oblong-elliptic to linear-lanceshaped, 10-20
cm long, 1-2.5 cm wide, both surfaces finely velvety, midvein pale and
prominent on the underside, base broadly wedge-shaped to broad, tip
pointed to somewhat long-pointed. Flowers are borne in racemes at
branch ends or leaf-opposed, 6-10-flowered. Bracts are lanceshaped, 4-6
mm. Flower-stalks are 1-1.5 cm. Bracteoles are inserted at tip of
flower-staks, linear, 3-4 mm. Sepal tube is 2-lipped, 1.5-2.5 cm,
divided to near base, densely brown hairy, lower sepals narrowly
triangular-lanceshaped, fused for about 1/4 of length, 4-5 mm wide at
base. Upper sepals are similar, divided to near base. Flowers are
yellow, pea-shaoped. Standard petal is circular to oblong, about 2.5
cm, base with 2 appendages. Wings are narrowly elliptic to
lanceolate-elliptic, about 2 cm; keel about as long as wings, broad and
rounded, lower margin woolly, beak long, twisted, and protruding beyond
calyx. Seed-pod is oblong, 4-5 cm, 10-20-seeded, densely brownish
yellow pubescent. Eastern Rattlepod is found in the Himalayas, from
Kumaun to Bhutan, Assam, SE Asia and China, at altitudes of 200-1700 m.
Flowering: September-November.
Identification credit: Krishan Lal
Photographed in Sirmaur Distt, Himachal Pradesh.
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The flower labeled Eastern Rattlepod is ...