Fabaceae Tribe Galegeae [Draft]

GUELDENSTAEDTIA Fischer, Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 6: 171. 1823.

米口袋属  mi kou dai shu

Bao Bojian^[1], Kai Larsen^[2], Anthony R. Brach^[3]

Herbs, perennial. Tap root thick. Stem very short or nearly stemless, with a rosette of leaves at soil surface. Leaves imparipinnate, rarely 1-foliolate; stipules adnate to petiole or free; stipels absent; petiolule short or nearly sessile; leaflets ovate, lanceolate, elliptic, oblong, or linear, rarely orbicular. Flowers purple, pink, or yellow, 3–8(–12) per umbel on axillary peduncles. Calyx campanulate, densely adnately villous, rarely glabrous, 5-toothed; upper 2 teeth broader. Standard ovate or orbicular, narrowing to claw at base, retuse at apex; wings free, obovate-oblong, slightly shorter then standard; keel ovate, very short. Stamens diadelphous. Ovary sessile, many ovuled; style short, rolled inward at apex; stigma broad. Pod cylindric or linear, not septate, with many seeds. Seeds triangular-reniform.

About 12 species: from Russia (Siberia) to the Sino-Himalayan region; three species in China (two endemic).

Cui Hongbin. 1998. Gueldenstaedtia. In Cui Hongbin, ed. Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 42(2): 146–157.

Gueldenstaedtia cuneata Bentham = Chesneya cuneata (Bentham) Ali.

Gueldenstaedtia latifolia (Lamarck) Fischer ex D. Don = Astragalus latifolius Lamarck (1783).

1a.     Leaflets orbicular to ovate or elliptic ..........................................................  3. G. taihangensis

1b.     Leaflets linear to lanceolate, elliptic, or ovate.

2a.    Stems short, less then 5 cm, not woody; standard obtuse at apex .......................  2. G. verna

2b.    Stems long, ca. 5 cm, woody; standard acuminate at apex ...............................  1. G. henryi

 

1. Gueldenstaedtia henryi Ulbrich, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 36(Beibl. 82): 59. 1905.

川鄂米口袋  chuan e mi kou dai

Amblytropis henryi (Ulbrich) C. Y. Wu ex H. P. Tsui.

Stems to 5 cm, woody, branched, with basal rosette of leaves. Leaves imparipinnate, 2–9 cm, pilose or glabrescent; stipules narrowly triangular; petiolules very short or leaflets nearly sessile; leaflets oblong or obovate, 3–10 × 2–5 mm, abaxially pubescent, adaxially glabrous, apex rounded, obviously mucronate. Umbels 4- or 5-flowered; rachis ca. 10 cm, sparsely pilose or glabrous; bracts narrowly lanceolate, ca. 3.5 mm. Corolla purple; standard broadly ovate, ca. 14 × 8 mm, apex acuminate, retuse; wings elliptic, ca. 11.5 × 3.5 mm, claw short, ca. 1.8 mm; keel ca. 5.5 × 2.5 mm, claw ca. 2 mm. Ovary oblong, villous. Pod ca. 1.5 cm, pilose. Seeds reniform.

* Grasslands; ca. 100 m. Hubei, Sichuan.

2. Gueldenstaedtia verna (Georgi) Borissov, Sched. Rast. Herb. Fl. URSS 12(Fasc. 75): 122. 1953.

少花米口袋  shao hua mi kou dai

Astragalus vernus Georgi, Bemerk. Reise Russ. Reich. 1: 226. 1775; Amblytropis delavayi (Franchet) C. Y. Wu ex H. P. Tsui; A. maritima (Maximowicz) Kitagawa; A. pauciflora (Pallas) Kitagawa; A. stenophylla Bunge; A. verna (Georgi) Kitagawa; Astragalus brevicarinatus de Candolle; A. pauciflorus Pallas; A. cavaleriei H. Léveillé; Gueldenstaedtia brachyptera Pampanini; G. brachyptera var. elongata (Pavolini) Pampanini; G. delavayi Franchet; G. delavayi f. alba H. P. Tsui; G. gansuensis H. P. Tsui; G. giraldii Harms; G. giraldii var. alba Jacot; G. giraldii f. elongata Pavolini; G. giraldii subsp. glabra Jacot; G. gracilis H. P. Tsui; G. guillonii Franchet; G. harmsii Ulbrich; G. maritima Maximowicz; G. multiflora Bunge; G. multiflora f. alba F. Z. Li; G. multiflora var. maritima (Maximowicz) Jacot; G. pauciflora (Pallas) Fischer ex de Candolle; G. stenophylla Bunge; G. verna subsp. multiflora f. alba (H. P. Tsui) P. C. Li; G. verna subsp. multiflora (Bunge) H. P. Tsui.

Tap root straight. Stems short. Leaves imparipinnate, (1.5–)2–20 cm; stipules persistent, triangular or ovate, joined at base; petiole white pilose; leaflets (5–)7–19, elliptic, oblong, narrowly obovate, or ovate (in spring) to lanceolate or linear (in autumn), (2–)5–25(–35) × (1–)1.5–7(–9) mm, both surfaces pilose or villous, adaxially rarely glabrous, apex variably obtuse, rounded, truncate, retuse, or acute, and with mucro. Umbels 2–4(–8)-flowered; rachis variable in length, ca. 1/2 to equal in length to leaves or longer; bracts narrowly triangular, lanceolate, or linear, sometimes subulate, 2–3 mm; pedicel 0.5–1(–3) mm; bractlets linear, shorter than calyx. Calyx (4–)5–7 mm, white pilose; teeth lanceolate, upper 2 longer. Corolla purplish red, purple, pink, rose, or white; standard ovate, elliptic, or obovate to orbicular, (0.6–)1.3(–1.4) cm, apex retuse or acuminate; wings obovate, (0.6–)1.1 cm, auriculate or cuneate, claw (0.8–)3 mm; keel obovate or ovate, (4–)5.5(–7) mm, claw (1.8–)2.5 mm. Ovary elliptic or cylindric, densely pilose or villous; style glabrous, rolled inward. Pod cylindric or narrowly ovoid, (1–)1.5–2 cm, 3–4 mm in diam., villous, pilose, or glabrescent, dehiscent. Seeds reniform, ca. 1.5 mm in diam. Fl. (Mar–)May, fr. (May–)Jun–Jul(–Nov).

Roadsides, grasslands, hillsides, valleys, meadows, terraced fields, margins of farms, river banks, sandy soil, sea bluffs; sea level to 2600 m. Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Tianjin, Yunnan, Zhejiang [India, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia].

A white-flowered form: Gueldenstaedtia verna f. alba (H. P. Tsui) P. C. Li (Vasc. Pl. Hengduan Mount., 1: 940. 1993) occurs in Beijing and Shandong.

3. Gueldenstaedtia taihangensis H. P. Tsui, Bull. Bot. Lab. N. E. Forest. Inst., Harbin 5: 40. 1979.

太行米口袋  tai hang mi kou dai

Gueldenstaedtia guangxiensis W. L. Sha & X. X. Chen.

Tap root straight. Stems many from root crown, with basal rosettes of leaves and rachis. Leaves (3–)3.5–7.5(–13) cm; petiole slender, pilose; petiolules very short; leaflets 5–13, ovate to orbicular or elliptic, (5–)6–9(–10) × (3–)5–7(–8) mm, both surfaces pilose or abaxially villous and adaxially glabrous, base rounded, apex truncate or notched, or obtuse or acute and with mucro. Umbel 2- or 3(–12)-flowered; rachis equal to leaves or longer, slender; bracts narrowly triangular or linear; pedicel very short; bractlets adnate to base of calyx. Calyx (5–)7 mm, densely adnately villous, 5-toothed, upper 2 teeth larger. Corolla purple; standard oblong or obovate, ca. 11 × (6–)7 mm; wings obovate, ca. (7–)9 × 3 mm, claw (1.5–)2 mm; keel ovate, (3–)5 mm. Ovary oblong or cylindric, villous; style glabrous, rolled inward. Pod conical or cylindric, (1–)1.5(–1.7) cm, ca. 3 mm in diam., pilose, valves torsional after dehiscence. Seeds reniform. Fl. (Jan–Feb or)May, fr. (Apr–May or)Aug.

* Meadows and bushes of slopes of hills; 1100–1600 m. Guangxi, Hebei, Shanxi.

TIBETIA (Ali) H. P. Tsui, Bull. Bot. Lab. N. E. Forest. Inst., Harbin 5: 48. 1979.

高山豆属  gao shan dou shu

Bao Bojian, Kai Larsen, Anthony R. Brach

Guedenstaedtia subgen. Tibetia Ali, Candollea 18: 140. 1962.

Herbs, perennial. Tap root conical, strong. Stems many from collar, slender, branched, sometimes with adventitious roots. Leaves imparipinnate; stipule brown, ovate or elliptic, membranous, amplexicaul and opposite to leaves; leaflets elliptic, orbicular, or cordate, apex rounded to retuse, rarely bifid. Umbel 1–4-flowered, on axillary penducles. Calyx brown, upper 2 teeth larger and joined. Corolla usually dark purple, rarely yellow; standard broadly obovate or obcordate, clawed; wings broadly obovate, equal in length to standard; keel oblong or obovate, small. Stamens diadelphous. Ovary cylindric, pilose or glabrous; style rolled inward. Pod cylindric, with many seeds. Seeds reniform, smooth.

About five species: Asia; all five species in China (four endemic).

Cui Hongbin. 1998. Tibetia. In Cui Hongbin, ed. Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 42(2): 157–163.

1a.     Plants with dense appressed glandular hairs.

2a.    Leaflets villous; stipules acute at apex ........................................................  2. T. himalaica

2b.    Leaflets pilose; stipules rounded or sometimes acuminate at apex ............  3. T. yadongensis

1b.     Plants subglabrous or with sparse appressed glandular hairs.

3a.    Corolla blue or purple; stipules acute at apex ..........................................  4. T. yunnanensis

3b.    Corolla yellow; stipules rounded or sometimes acuminate at apex.

4a.     Stipules with brown-purple marks; ovary glabrous ................................  1. T. tongolensis

4b.     Stipules without brown-purple marks; ovary with white appressed hairs ......  5. T. forrestii

 

1. Tibetia tongolensis (Ulbrich) H. P. Tsui, Bull. Bot. Lab. N. E. Forest. Inst., Harbin 5: 50. 1979.

黄花高山豆  huang hua gao shan dou

Gueldenstaedtia tongolensis Ulbrich, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 5: 50(Beibl. 110): 11. 1913; Amblytropis flava (Adamson) C. Y. Wu ex H. P. Tsui; G. flava Adamson; G. flava var. tongolensis (Ulbrich) Ali.

Stems slender. Leaves ca. 10 cm; stipules free, with brown spots, broadly ovate, 5–6 mm, membranous; leaflets 5–9, obovate, broadly elliptic, or broadly ovate, ca. 12 × 9 mm, abaxially pilose, adaxially glabrous, apex truncate or retuse. Umbel 2- or 3-flowered; rachis usually ca. as long as leaves or slightly longer; pedicel ca. 5 mm, with rigid hairs; bract narrowly triangular; bractlet narrowly ovate, glandular on margin. Calyx campanulate or broadly campanulate, ca. 5 × 2.5 mm, densely brown rigidly hairy, upper 2 teeth joined at base. Corolla yellow; standard broadly ovate, ca. 9.5 mm, base narrowed to claw, apex retuse; wings broadly obliquely ovate, ca. 9 × 5 mm, claw linear; keel obovate, ca. 4 × 1.5 mm. Ovary cylindric, glabrous. Pod glabrous. Fl. Apr–Jul, fr. Aug–Sep.

* Hills; above 3000 m. Sichuan, Yunnan.

2. Tibetia himalaica (Baker) H. P. Tsui, Bull. Bot. Lab. N. E. Forest. Inst. 5: 51. 1979.

高山豆  gao shan dou

Gueldenstaedtia himalaica Baker in J. D. Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 2: 117. 1876; Amblytropis uniflora (Strachey ex Jacot) Kuang & H. P. Tsui; G. diversifolia Maximowicz; G. santapaui Thothathri; G. uniflora Strachey ex Jacot; Tibetia himalaica (Baker) H. P. Tsui f. alba X. Y. Zhu.

Tap root straight. Stems obvious. Leaves 2–7 cm; stipules ovate, large, to 7 mm, densely villous; petiole sparsely villous; leaflets 9–13, orbicular, elliptic, broadly obovate, or ovate, 1–9 × 1–8 mm, adnately villous, apex retuse. Umbel 1–3-flowered, rarely 4-flowered; rachis usually ca. as long as leaves or slightly longer, sparsely villous; bract narrowly triangular. Calyx campanulate, 3.5–5 mm, villous; upper 2 teeth 1.5–2 mm, joined from base to 1/2. Corolla bluish purple, purple, blue, mauve, violet, or red; standard ovate-orbicular, 6.5–8 × 4.5–7.5 mm, base with claw ca. 2 mm, apex retuse; wings broadly cuneate, 6–7 × 2–3 mm; keel subrectangular, 3–4 × 1–2 mm. Ovary villous. Pod pilose or glabrescent. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Jul–Aug.

Hilly areas, alpine meadows, rocky slopes, forests; 3000–5000 m. Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan].

The type was originally collected in Sikkim.

3. Tibetia yadongensis H. P. Tsui, Bull. Bot. Lab. N. E. Forest. Inst., Harbin 5: 52. 1979.

亚东高山豆  ya dong gao shan dou

Tap root straight. Stems long, branched. Leaves 3–5.5 cm; stipules broadly ovate, membranous, abaxially hairy, adaxially glabrous, apex acuminate; petiole pilose; leaflets 7–15, elliptic to obcordate, 7–10 × 6–8 mm, both surfaces pilose, apex parted to bifid. Umbel 1- or 2-flowered; rachis pilose, usually ca. as long as leaves; bract linear, ca. 1 mm; bractlet lanceolate, slightly shorter than bract; pedicel ca. 2 mm. Calyx brown, narrowly campanulate, ca. 5 mm. Corolla purple; standard orbicular, ca. 10 × 8 mm, base narrowed to claw, apex retuse; wings obliquely obovate, ca. 9 × 4 mm, claw curved, auriculate; keel nearly triangular, ca. 4 × 1.5 mm. Ovary cylindric, densely villous. Pod ca. 2 cm, pilose. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Jul–Sep.

* Grasslands on hills, bushwood; 3000–4100 m. Xizang.

4. Tibetia yunnanensis (Franchet) H. P. Tsui, Bull. Bot. Lab. N. E. Forest. Inst., Harbin 5: 54. 1979.

云南高山豆  yun nan gao shan dou

Stems very developed, slender. Stipules amplexicaul, joined at base and opposite to leaf, obovate or broadly elliptic, margin glandular toothed, apex acuminate; leaflets 3–7(–9), obovate, broadly elliptic, or broadly ovate to obcordate, adnately pilose, apex truncate to retuse. Umbel 1- or 2(or 3)-flowered; rachis 5–10 cm, pilose; bract lanceolate or narrowly triangular, 2(–2.5) mm; bractlet lanceolate or narrowly ovate, ca. 1.5 mm. Calyx campanulate, 4–5 mm; teeth lanceolate, upper 2 teeth joined to 2/3, villous. Corolla purple, purplish blue, or red; standard obcordate or ovate-orbicular, 10.5–11 × ca. 9 mm, base narrowed to claw, apex retuse; wings subcuneate or subelliptic, 9–10 × 3.5–4 mm; keel obovate, 4–4.5 × ca. 1.5 mm. Ovary villous with long appressed hairs or glabrous. Pod ca. 1.2 cm, pilose. Fl. Jun–Jul, fr. Sep.

* Hilly areas, grassy or rocky places at streamsides, disturbed forests, thickets, N-facing ravines; above 2500 m. Sichuan, SE Xizang, Yunnan.

1a.. Ovary with long appressed hairs ...............................................................  4a. var. yunnanensis

1b.. Ovary glabrous .............................................................................................  4b. var. coelestis

 

4a. Tibetia yunnanensis var. yunnanensis

云南高山豆  yun nan gao shan dou (yuan bian zhong)

Gueldenstaedtia yunnanensis Franchet, Pl. Delavay. 164. 1889; Amblytropis yunnanensis (Franchet) C. Y. Wu ex H. P. Tsui.

Ovary with long appressed hairs.

* Hilly areas, grassy places at streamsides, disturbed forests, thickets, N-facing ravines; above 2500 m. Sichuan, Yunnan.

4b. Tibetia yunnanensis var. coelestis (Diels) X. Y. Zhu, Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 148: 479. 2005.

蓝花高山豆  lan hua gao shan dou

Astragalus coelestis Diels, Notes Roy Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 5: 244. 1912; Amblytropis coelestis (Diels) C. Y. Wu ex H. P. Tsui; Gueldenstaedtia coelestis (Diels) N. D. Simpson; Tibetia coelestis (Diels) H. P. Tsui; T. tongolensis (Ulbrich) H. P. Tsui f. coelestis (Diels) P. C. Li; T. tongolensis (Ulbrich) H. P. Tsui var. coelestis (Diels) H. P. Tsui.

Ovary glabrous.

* Grasslands on hills; above 3000 m. Sichuan, SE Xizang, Yunnan.

5. Tibetia forrestii (Ali) P. C. Li, Acta Bot. Yunnan. 11: 287. 1989.

中甸高山豆  zhong dian gao shan dou

Gueldenstaedtia forrestii Ali, Candollea 18: 153. 1962; Tibetia liangshanensis P. C. Li.

Stems prostrate, elongated. Stipules connate at base, obovate or oblong, abaxially with appressed pale yellow hairs, adaxially glabrous, apex obtuse or subtruncate; petiole 3.5–9 cm; petiolules ca. 1 mm; leaflets 7–9, obovate or orbicular, 11–19 × 9–15 mm, apex retuse, rarely subtruncate or obtuse. Flowers purple; peduncle 13–14 cm; bracts lanceolate, ca. 4 mm; pedicels 3–4 mm. Calyx ca. 8 mm, with appressed yellow hairs, 2-lobed; upper lobe ca. 3 mm, apex retuse; lower lobe equal, linear, 2–3 mm. Corolla pale yellow; standard retuse at apex, ca. 1.6 × 1.2 cm; wings ca. 1.4 cm, claw 2–3 mm; keel ca. 6 × 2 mm, claw ca. 2 mm, auricle shorter than 1 mm. Ovary with densely appressed white hairs; style shorter than 1 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Sep.

* Understories of Pinus and Quercus forests; above 3000 m. Sichuan, Yunnan.

00. GLYCYRRHIZA Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 741. 1753.

甘草属  gan cao shu

Bao Bojian, Kai Larsen

Subshrubs or perennial herbs. Roots and rhizomes very developed. Stem erect, much branched. Leaves imparipinnate; stipules 2, free, caducous or persistent; leaflets (3–)5–17, entire or serrulate. Racemes axillary; bracts caducous. Calyx campanulate or cylindric, 5-toothed, slightly bilabiate. Corolla white, yellow, purple, or purple-red; standard shortly clawed; wings shorter than standard, obliquely oblong; keels joined. Stamens diadelphous or monadelphous. Ovary sessile, 2–10 ovuled. Pod ovoid, oblong, or linear, rarely moniliform, straight or curved, flat or inflated, prickly or rarely smooth, indehiscent or dehiscent. Seeds reniform or orbicular.

About 20 species: mainly Eurasia with extensions to Australia, and North and South America; eight species in China (two endemic).

Li Peiqiong & Cui Hongbin. 1998. Glycyrrhiza. In Cui Hongbin, ed. Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 42(2): 167–176.

Glycyrrhiza costulata Handel-Mazzetti = Astragalus chinensis Linnaeus f.

Glycyrrhiza mairei H. Léveillé = Tephrosia purpurea (Linnaeus) Persoon.

1a.     Pod orbicular, reniform, or ovoid, yellow spiny or tuberculate, with 2 seeds; leaflets lanceolate to oblong, margin spiny-serrulate.

2a.    Pod tuberculate; racemes not globose; leaflets retuse or obtuse at apex ...  8. G. squamulosa

2b.    Pod rigidly spiny; racemes globose or oblong; leaflets acuminate at apex.

3a.     Racemes oblong; pod abruptly acuminate at apex, sparsely rigidly spiny
........................................................................................................  6. G. pallidiflora

3b.     Racemes subglobose; pod cuspidate at apex, densely rigidly spiny ......  7. G. yunnanensis

1b.     Pod linear, oblong, or orbicular, scaly glandular punctate, glandular hairy, or smooth, rarely tuberculate, with 2–8 seeds; leaflets elliptic, oblong, or ovate, rarely lanceolate.

4a.    Pod moniliform, smooth ................................................................................  5. G. aspera

4b.    Pod not moniliform, scaly glandular punctate, glandular hairy, or tuberculate.

5a.     Pod zigzag ......................................................................................  3. G. eglandulosa

5b.     Pod not zigzag.

6a.     Pod linear, falcate or curved into a ring .............................................  1. G. uralensis

6b.     Pod oblong, straight or slightly curved.

7a.    Leaflets 3–7(–9); calyx with upper 2 teeth joined to 1/2 from base .....  2. G. inflata

7b.    Leaflets 11–17; calyx with upper 2 teeth mostly joined ......................  4. G. glabra

1. Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer ex de Candolle, Prodr. 2: 248. 1825.

甘草  gan cao

Glycyrrhiza asperrima Linnaeus f. var. desertorum Regel; G. asperrima var. uralensis Regel; G. glandulifera Ledebour (1842), not Waldstein & Kitaibel (1802–1812); G. shiheziensis X. Y. Li.

Herbs, perennial. Roots and rhizomes strong. Stem 30–120 cm tall, densely scaly glandular punctate and white or brown tomentose. Leaves 5–20 cm; stipules triangular-lanceolate, ca. 5 × 2 mm, densely white pubescent; petiole densely brown glandular punctate and pubescent; leaflets 5–17, ovate, narrowly ovate, or orbicular, 1.5–5 × 0.8–3 cm, densely glandular punctate and pubescent, base rounded, margin entire or repand, apex obtuse and mucronate. Racemes much flowered; rachis shorter than leaf, densely brown glandular punctate and pubescent; bracts brown, oblong-lanceolate, 3–4 mm, membranous, yellow glandular and pubescent. Calyx campanulate, 7–14 mm, densely yellow glandular punctate and pubescent, inflated to sacciform at base, 5-toothed, upper 2 teeth mostly joined. Corolla purple, white, or yellow, 1–2.4 cm; standard oblong, base shortly clawed, apex retuse; wings shorter than standard; keel shorter than wings. Ovary densely glandular. Pod falcate to curved into a ring, densely tuberculate and glandular hairy. Seeds 3–11, dark green, orbicular or reniform, ca. 3 mm. Fl. Jun–Aug, fr. Jul–Oct. 2n = 16*.

Sandy lands, dry river banks, grasslands on hills; 400–2700 m. Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan].

2. Glycyrrhiza inflata Batalin, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 11: 484. 1891.

胀果甘草  zhang guo gan cao

Glycyrrhiza eurycarpa P. C. Li; G. hediniana Harms ex Ostenfeld & Paulsen; G. paucifoliolata Hance.

Herbs, perennial. Roots and rhizomes strong. Stem 50–150 cm tall, woody at base. Leaves 4–20 cm; stipules caducous, brown, triangular-lanceolate, small, ca. 1 mm; petiole densely brown glandular punctate, densely pubescent when young; leaflets 3–7(–9), ovate, elliptic, or oblong, 2–6 × 0.8–3 cm, brown glandular punctate, sparsely pubescent on veins, base rounded, margin somewhat undulate, apex acute or obtuse. Racemes with rachis ca. as long as or shorter than leaves, densely glandular punctate, densely hairy when young; bracts oblong-lanceolate, ca. 3 mm, densely glandular punctate and pubescent. Calyx campanulate, 5–7 mm, densely glandular punctate and pubescent, 5-toothed, upper 2 teeth joined to 1/2 from base. Corolla purple or light purple; standard narrowly elliptic, 6–9(–12) × 4–7 mm, base shortly clawed, apex rounded; wings ca. as long as standard, obviously auriculate and clawed; keel shorter, auriculate and clawed. Pod straight or slightly curved, elliptic or oblong, 8–30 × 5–10 mm, inflated or somewhat constricted between seeds, brown glandular punctate and glandular hairy, sparsely villous. Seeds 1–4, green, orbicular, 2–3 mm in diam. Fl. May–Jul, fr. Jun–Oct. 2n = 16*.

River banks, dry stream banks, margins of farms, wastelands; ca. 1100 m. Gansu, Nei Mongol, Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan].

3. Glycyrrhiza eglandulosa X. Y. Li, Bull. Bot. Res., Harbin 13(1): 29. 1993.

无腺毛甘草  wu xian mao gan cao

Herbs, perennial. Roots and rhizomes strong. Stem 50–90 cm tall, sparsely brown glandular punctate, prickly, white hairy. Leaves 15–22 cm; petiole sparsely glandular, prickly, white hairy; leaflets 11–15, ovate or elliptic, 2.3–4.5 × 0.6–1.4 cm, adaxially sparsely puberulous, densely brown glandular, base rounded or slightly cordate, margin undulate, apex obtuse. Racemes 11–19 cm, ca. as long as or longer than leaves, sparsely glandular, prickly, hairy; bracts lanceolate, white hairy. Calyx campanulate, 9–10 mm, densely brown glandular punctate and pilose, upper 2 teeth nearly joined completely. Corolla 1.2–1.6 cm; standard narrowly elliptic, 13–15 × 3–5.5 mm, base shortly clawed; wings oblong, ca. 6.5 × 1.9–2.5 mm, claw linear, auriculate. Ovary straight, densely puberulous. Pod zigzag, oblong, flat, 12–30 × 5–7 mm, pilose. Seeds 1–9. Fl. Jun–Aug, fr. Jul–Oct. 2n = 16*.

* Sandy areas, grasslands on hills; 300–2000 m. Xinjiang.

4. Glycyrrhiza glabra Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 742. 1753.

洋甘草  yang gan cao

Glycyrrhiza alalensis X. Y. Li; G. brachycarpa Boissier; G. glabra var. caduca X. Y. Li; G. glabra subsp. glandulifera (Waldstein & Kitaibel) Ponert; G. glabra var. glandulifera (Waldstein & Kitaibel) Regel & Herder; G. glabra var. glandulosa X. Y. Li; G. glabra var. laxifoliolata X. Y. Li; G. glabra var. violacea (Boissier & Noë) Boissier; G. glandulifera Waldstein & Kitaibel; G. pallida Boissier; G. violacea Boissier & Noë.

Herbs, perennial. Stem 50–150 cm tall, woody at base, densely scaly glandular punctate, white hairy. Leaves 5–14 cm; stipules caducous, linear, 1–2 mm; petiole densely yellow-brown glandular-hairy and villous; leaflets 11–17, ovate-oblong, oblong-lanceolate, or elliptic, 1.7–4 × 0.8–2 cm, abaxially densely yellow scaly glandular punctate and pubescent on veins, adaxially glabrescent or pilose, base rounded, apex rounded or retuse and with mucro. Racemes much and densely flowered; rachis densely brown scaly glandular punctate, white villous and tomentose; bracts lanceolate, ca. 2 mm, membranous. Calyx campanulate, 5–7 mm, sparsely yellow glandular punctate and pubescent, 5-toothed, upper 2 teeth mostly joined. Corolla purple or light purple, 9–12 mm; standard ovate or oblong, 1–1.1 cm, base clawed, apex retuse; wings 8–9 mm; keel straight, 7–8 mm. Ovary glabrous. Pod oblong, flat, 17–35 × 4.5–7 mm, rarely constricted between seeds, glabrous or sparsely hairy, rarely glandular hairy. Seeds 2–8, dark green, ca. 2 mm in diam., smooth. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Jul–Sep. 2n = 16*.

Margins of farms, roadsides, saline areas; 500–1300 m. Xinjiang [Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; N Africa; SW Asia, E and S Europe, Indian Ocean (Maldives), North America; only native to Mediterranean region, widely cultivated and naturalized].

5. Glycyrrhiza aspera Pallas, Reise Russ. Reich. 1: 499. 1771.

粗毛甘草  cu mao gan cao

Glycyrrhiza asperrima Linnaeus f.; G. laxiflora X. Y. Li & D. C. Feng; G. laxissima Vassilczenko; G. macrophylla X. Y. Li; G. nutantiflora X. Y. Li; G. prostata X. Y. Li & D.C. Feng; G. purpureiflora X. Y. Li.

Herbs, perennial. Roots and rhizomes slender. Stem erect or diffuse, 10–30 cm tall, sparsely pubescent and glandular hairy. Leaves 2.5–10 cm; stipules ovate-triangular, 4–6 × 2–4 mm; petiole sparsely pubescent and glandular hairy; leaflets (5–)7–9, gray-green, ovate, broadly ovate, obovate, or elliptic, 10–30 × 3–18 mm, abaxially sparsely pubescent and glandular hairy, adaxially glabrous, base cuneate, margin small spiny-hairy. Racemes much flowered; rachis longer than leaves, pilose, glandular hairy; bracts linear-lanceolate, 3–6 mm, membranous. Calyx cylindric, 7–12 mm, sparsely pubescent, 5-toothed, upper 2 teeth slightly joined. Corolla light purple or purple; standard oblong, 13–15 × 5–6.5 mm, base narrowed to claw, apex rounded; wings 1.2–1.4 cm; keel 1–1.1 cm. Ovary glabrescent. Pod usually curved to falcate or ring, brown, moniliform, 1.5–2.5 cm, glabrous. Seeds 2–10, black-brown, orbicular. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Jul–Aug. 2n = 16*.

Margins of farms, riverbanks, steppes; 100–800 m. Gansu, Nei Mongol, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; C and SW Asia, Europe (only native to SE Russia)].

6. Glycyrrhiza pallidiflora Maximowicz, Prim. Fl. Amur. 79. 1859.

刺果甘草  ci guo gan cao

Herbs, perennial. Stem 1–1.5 m tall, striped, densely yellow-brown scaly glandular punctate, nearly glabrous. Leaves 6–20 cm; stipules lanceolate, ca. 5 mm; petiole glabrous, densely glandular punctate; leaflets 9–15, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 2–6 × 1.5–2 cm, glabrous, densely scaly glandular punctate, base cuneate, margin serrulate, apex acuminate with mucro. Racemes much flowered, globose or oblong; rachis shorter than leaves, densely brown glandular punctate and pubescent; bracts ovate-lanceolate, 6–8 mm, membranous, glandular punctate. Calyx campanulate, 4–5 mm, densely glandular punctate and sparsely pubescent at base, lanceolately 5-toothed. Corolla light purple, purple, or purple-red; standard ovate, 6–8 mm, base shortly clawed, apex rounded; wings 5–6 mm; keel shorter than wings. Pod ovoid, 10–17 × 6–8 mm, rigidly spiny, apex abruptly acuminate. Seeds 2, black, ca. 2 mm. Fl. Jun–Jul, fr. Jul–Sep. 2n = 16*.

Riverbanks, open valleys by streams, open slopes, margins of farms, roadsides; 2600–3100 m. Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, NE and N Jiangsu, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Shaanxi, Shandong, Yunnan [Mongolia, Russia].

7. Glycyrrhiza yunnanensis Cheng f. & L. K. Dai ex P. C. Li, Acta Bot. Boreal.-Occid. Sin. 4(2): 117. 1984.

云南甘草  yun nan gan cao

Herbs, perennial. Stem 60–100(–120) cm tall, densely scaly glandular punctate, sparsely pubescent. Leaves 8–10 cm; stipules lanceolate, 5–7 × 2–3 mm, glandular punctate, glabrous; petiole densely scaly glandular punctate, densely villous; leaflets 7–15, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 2–5 × 0.7–1.5 cm, densely scaly glandular punctate, sparsely pubescent, base cuneate, apex acuminate. Racemes much flowered, globose or subglobose; rachis shorter than leaf, densely scaly glandular punctate, villous when young; bracts lanceolate, 6–7 mm, densely glandular punctate. Calyx campanulate, ca. 5 mm, sparsely scaly glandular punctate and pubescent, 5-toothed, upper 2 teeth partly joined. Corolla purple; standard narrowly ovate or elliptic, 6–9 mm, very shortly clawed; wings 5–6 mm; keel slightly shorter than wings, clawed, auriculate. Pod dense, narrowly ovoid, 12–18 × 4–6 mm, densely spiny, apex cuspidate. Seeds brown, ca. 4 mm. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Jul–Sep. 2n = 16*.

* Near forests, open grassy slopes, farms, roadsides; ca. 2700 m. Yunnan.

8. Glycyrrhiza squamulosa Franchet, Pl. David. 1: 93. 1884.

圆果甘草  yuan guo gan cao

Astragalus glanduliferus Debeaux.

Herbs, perennial. Roots and rhizomes slender. Stem 30–60 cm tall, densely yellow scaly glandular punctate, glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Leaves 5–15 cm; stipules lanceolate, 2–3 mm, sparsely white pubescent, glandular punctate; petiole densely scaly glandular punctate, sparsely pubescent; leaflets 9–13, narrowly elliptic to oblong-obovate, densely scaly glandular punctate, base cuneate, margin serrulate, apex usually retuse. Racemes much flowered; rachis longer than leaves, densely scaly glandular punctate, sparsely pubescent; bracts lanceolate, membranous, glandular punctate, pubescent. Calyx campanulate, 2.5–3.5 mm, densely scaly glandular punctate, sparsely pubescent, 5-toothed; upper 2 teeth slightly joined. Corolla white, abaxially densely yellow glandular punctate; standard ovate-oblong, 5–7 × 2.5–3.5 mm; wings 4–5 mm; keel straight, slightly shorter than wings. Pod brown, orbicular or broadly reniform, 5–10 × 4–7 mm, tuberculate, apex mucronate. Seeds 2, green, ca. 2 mm. Fl. May–Jul, fr. Jun–Sep.

Roadsides, wastelands; 100–1100 m. Hebei, Henan, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Xinjiang [Mongolia].