Clitoria L., Sp. Pl. 2: 753. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5. 334. 1754; Baker in Hook.f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 208. 1879; Cooke, Fl. Bomb. Pres. (Reprint ed.) 1: 405. 1958; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 254; Sa & Gilbert, Fl. China @ eFloras.org 10: 200.

Perennial herbs or shrubs, twining. Leaves pinnately 3-7-foliate; stipules and stipels persistent. Inflorescence axillary, 1-2-flowered. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous, perigynous, large and showy; bracts paired, stipule-like, persistent; bracteoles similar to bracts or slightly larger or sometimes foliaceous. Calyx membranous, tubular, 5-lobed; lobes lanceolate or triangular, equal to or shorter than tube. Corolla papilionaceous, longer than calyx; vexillum large, almost applanate (flattened or horizontally expanded), or sometimes cucullate (hood-like), abaxially minutely hairy, base clawed without auricles; wings and keels much shorter. Stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1); vexillary stamen free or +/- connate; anthers uniform. Ovary stipitate, with sheathing disc at base; ovules many, placentation marginal; style complanate (in one plane; flattened), long, curved, interior with beard. Legumes stipitate, linear or linear-oblong, dehiscent, compressed or inflated, filled with soft tissue but not septate. Seeds subglobose or ellipsoid, compressed, hilum small, central or subcentral; strophiole absent.

66 species

Clitoria ternatea L., Sp. Pl. 2: 753. 1753; Baker in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 208. 1879; Cooke, Fl. Bomb. Pres. (Reprint ed.)1: 105. 1958; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 254; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 10: 201.

Herbs. Stem twining, slender, densely adpressed shortly villous. Leaves pinnately 5- or 7-foliate, 6-9 cm long; stipules ca. 1.5-2.5 mm, linear, hairy; petiole 1.5-3.0 cm, adpressed hairy; stipels small, 1.5-2.5 mm, linear or bristle- like, hairy; petiolules 1-2 mm long; leaflets broadly elliptic or ovate, 2.5-5 cm x 1.5-3.5 cm, adpressed hairy, sometimes glabrous, lateral veins 4-5 pairs, base cuneate or rounded, apex obtuse, slightly emarginate usually with mucro. Petiole and rachis with adaxial groove. Stem, leaflets, petiole, petiolules, stipules, stipels are adpressed hairy. Flowers solitary axillary, bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous, perigynous, large, 4-6 cm long, blue or white; bracts 2, 3 cm x 1 cm, lanceolate, pubescent; bracteoles 9-10 mm x 9-10 mm, green, suborbicular or obovate, membranous, with obvious reticulate veins, pubescent. Pedicels 0.5-1.2 cm long. Calyx 1.5-2.0 cm long, 5-lobed, 2 upper lobes joined near the base, lobes lanceolate, equal or shorter than the tube, apex acuminate or acute, hairy without. Corolla sky blue, pink or white, papilionaceous, 4-5.5 cm long; vexillum faintly white or creamish in middle, broadly obovate, 3.5-5 x cm 2- 3.5 cm, base shortly clawed, outer surface hairy, inner subglabrous; wings and keel much shorter than vexillum; wings 2.5 cm x 1.2 cm, blue with cream colour, obovate-oblong, long-clawed; keel 2 cm x 0.4 cm, creamish, elliptic, clawed. Stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1), vexillary stamen free, sheath 1.5 cm long; free parts of filaments 1.7-2 mm long; anthers uniform, 0.5-0.7 mm long. Ovary shortly stipitate, ca. 8 mm long, flat, villous, unilocular with many ovules, placentation marginal; style curved with one row of hairs on inner side, bearded near apex; stigma simple. Legumes brown, linear-oblong, 5-11cm x 0.7-1.0 cm, compressed with long beak, filled with soft tissue but not septate. Seeds 6-11, black, oblong, ca. 6 mm x 4 mm, with obvious strophiole.

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