兰屿百脉根 lan yu bai mai gen

Lotus pacificus Kramina & D. D. Sokoloff.

Herbs, perennial, 50-80 cm, puberulent. Rootstock woody. Stem terete, strong, fleshy, decumbent with end ascending. Leaves sessile; stipules absent or present as inconspicuous dark glands; rachis 4-12 mm; leaflets 5(-7), all similar in shape, ob­lanceolate to narrowly obovate, 1-2(-4) cm, base cuneate, apex acute to almost rounded with a cusp. Heads (1 or)2-6(-8)-flow­ered; peduncle (0.6-)2-3 cm; sterile bract with 1-3 leaflets; subtending floral bracts present, wholly glandular or rarely with a minute blade and a pair of glands; pedicels short, pubescent. Flowers (8.5-)10-14.5(-20) mm. Calyx 7-11 mm; teeth subu­late, as long as or longer than tube. Corolla white, occasionally pale pink or tinged with violet, keel dark spotted with reddish or pink tip; keel incurved by acute angle, shortly rostrate. Ovary linear, glabrous; style (3-)4.5-6.5 mm. Legume cylindric, 3-5 cm × 2.7-4.4 mm, straight, valves twisted. Seeds numerous, globose, smooth. Fl. Sep-Mar.

Sandy places on seashores. Taiwan (Lan Yu and along E coast of main island) [Japan (Ryukyu Islands)].

The Chinese records of Lotus australis Andrews are referable to this species, which was named L. pacificus (Kramina & Sokoloff, Adan­sonia, n.s., 26: 183. 2004) although L. taitungensis had been previously described for the same taxon. True L. australis is restricted to Australia. Other relatives of L. taitungensis are L. anfractuosus (E. G. Baker) Kramina & D. D. Sokoloff from New Caledonia and Vanuatu and L. cruentus Court from Australia.