ABRUS

Abrus Adans., Fam. 2: 327. 1963; Baker in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 175. 1879; Cooke, Fl. Bomb. Pres. (Reprinted ed.) 1: 382. 1958; Talbot, For. Fl. Bomb. Pres. and Sind 1: 396. 1911; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 258; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 10.

Shrubs or shrublets, or lianas. Leaves paripinnate, leaflets 6-17 pairs, opposite, petioles short; blades suboblong, oblong or obovate-oblong; rachis small, bristle tipped. Racemes axillary, 3-10 cm long, flowers small, dense, bisexual, zygomorphic, usually 5-merous, perigynous. Calyx truncate or campanulate; teeth very short, upper 2 subconnate. Vexillum ovate, clawed; wing narrowly falcate, oblong; keel bigger than wings. Stamens 9, adnate into a sheath; vexillary stamen absent; anthers uniform. Ovary subsessile, ovules many. Fruit flattened, oblong, leathery, 2-valved, subseptate within between the seeds, dehiscent. Seeds subglobose or ellepsoid, red and black or black-brown or black, more or less lustrous.

17 species

Abrus precatorius

Abrus precatorius L., Syst. Nat., ed. 12. 2: 472. 1767; Baker; Cooke; Talbot, For. Fl. Bomb. Pres. and Sind 1: 396. 191; Parker, For Fl. Punj. ed. 1: 156. 1921 (Reprint 1973); ed. 3. 156. 1956; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 10: 194; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 258; Glycine abrus L., Sp. Pl. 2: 753. 1753.

Perennial climber, branches slender, glabrous or sparsely white strigose. Stipules 3.5-6 mm long, linear, pubescent, deciduous. Leaves 5-10 cm long, paripinnate; petiole 1-1.5 cm long, hairy, pulvinate; leaflets 8-20 pairs, opposite; petiolules short; leaflet blades suboblong, 7-20 mm x 3.5-8 mm, sparsely white strigose abaxially, glabrous adaxially, rounded at base, truncate and with mucro at apex. Flowers in dense axillary pedunculate racemes (3-8 cm) shorter than or equalling the leaves. Pedicels very short clustered on tubercles on rachis. Flowers small, +/- 1 cm long, bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous, perigynous. Calyx 5, fused, campanulate, ca. 2.5 mm long, white strigose (covered with short stiff adpressed hairs), 4-toothed, teeth very short, upper 2 subconnate. Corolla 5, papilionaceous, pink or white with pink tinge; vexillum 9-10 mm long, obovate, narrowed into a short triangular claw which is more or less adnate to the staminal tube; wings and keels narrower; wings narrowly linear- falcate, shorter than keel; keel curved. Stamens 9, monoadelphous, into a staminal tube slit above; vexillary stamen absent, anthers uniform. Ovary subsessile, hairy, ovules many, placentation marginal; style short, incurved; stigma small, capitate. Legumes oblong, 2-4.2 cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm broad, leathery, dehiscent, silky pubescent, thinly septate between seeds. Seeds ca. 7 mm long, lustrous, black in lower part, red in upper part, ovoid.

Flowering and Fruiting: August to December
Common Names: Coral Bead Vine, Rosary Pea; Gunj, Chirmithi, Ghunghchi, Ratti (Hindi)