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Issue: Vol. 769 No. 1: 7 Aug. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-08-07
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.769.1.1
Page range: 1-24
Abstract views: 28
PDF downloaded: 1

A new species of Crotalaria (Fabaceae) from Chhattisgarh of Central India: Taxonomic and Phylogenetic Insights

Plant Systematics Laboratory; Department of Botany; Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya; Bilaspur - 495009; Chhattisgarh; India
Plant Systematics Laboratory; Department of Botany; Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya; Bilaspur - 495009; Chhattisgarh; India
Plant Systematics Laboratory; Department of Botany; Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya; Bilaspur - 495009; Chhattisgarh; India
Department of Botany; Mansarovar Global University; Sehore - 466111; Madhya Pradesh; India
Eudicots Crotalarieae Calycinae Phylogeny Principal Component Analysis Taxonomy

Abstract

A new species, Crotalaria bilaspurensis (Fabaceae), is described and illustrated from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh (Central India). Morphologically allied to C. hirta, the new taxon shares several traits, including a pubescent stem, ciliate leaf margins, terminal raceme inflorescence, yellow corolla, bilabiate calyces. However, it differs in a suite of diagnostic features related to floral and vegetative morphology such as plant height, leaf size, inflorescence length, peduncle length, standard apex, keel vestiture, ovary and pod morphology confirmed through detailed micro and macro-morphological observations. The Principal Component Analysis distinctly separates C. bilaspurensis from its closest relative, revealing character combinations and intergroup distances that highlights its taxonomic uniqueness. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear ITS sequences further supports its separation, showing consistent nucleotide differences from related taxa. The species is placed in Crotalaria sect. Calycinae and a revised identification key for the genus in the region is provided.

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How to Cite

Dwivedi, A., Sahu, A., Subramaniam, S. & Pandey, A.K. (2026) A new species of Crotalaria (Fabaceae) from Chhattisgarh of Central India: Taxonomic and Phylogenetic Insights. Phytotaxa 769 (1): 1–24. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.769.1.1