FABACEAE Tribe CORONILLEAE [DRAFT]

小冠花族 xiao guan hua zu

Herb, small shrub, or rarely shrub. Leaves imparipinnate, rare single leave, leaflets 3–5–many; axillary pedunculate capitate umbels of many flowers, rarely 1 flower; all or alternative of filaments inflated at the top, anther homomorphic, versatile or nearly basifixed, style glabrous. Pod indehiscent, with article, rarely dehiscent. 2n = 12(20), 24.

About six genera, one genus cultivated in China.

00. CORONILLA Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 742. 1753.

小冠花属 xiao guan hua shu

Annual, perennial or dwarf shrubs. Leaves imparipinnate, leaflets 3–5–many; entire, stipules connate or free, persistent. Axillary pedunculate capitate umbels of many flowers. Flowers yellow, purple or white, with obvious purplish striates, pendulous, bracts small at the base of pedicel, lanceolate, persistent; calyx membranous, short campanulate, oblique, somewhat labiate, 5 tooth, lanceolate or triangular, almost equal, almost same or shorter than calyx tube, corolla exserted, standard suborbicular or oblate, with petal stalk, no auriculate, wings obovate or oblong, with stalk and auriculate. Stamens diadelphous (9+1), all or a few filaments inflated at the top; ovary stipitate, linear; ovule many, style filiform. Pod cylindric with longitudinal striates or 4 acies, indehiscent, with article, 1-seeded. With obvious hilum.

About fifty-five species, N & C Europe, Mediterranean, N E [=NE or N & E?] Africa and E Asia. 2 species cultivated in China.

1a. Key text      1. C. varia

1b. Key text      2. C. emerus

1. Coronilla varia Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 743. 1753.

绣球小冠花 xiu qiu xiao guan hua

Perennial herb, spreading by underground creeping roots; stems herbaceous, branching from base of plant, climbing, spreading or ascending, 0.5–1.2 m high, glabrous to sparse pubescent, hollow and week. Leaves alternate, green, imparipinnate sessile, with 11–25 pairs of leaflets; stipules subulate, ca. 3 × 1.2 mm, acute, glabrous; leaflets opposite, oblong or elliptical, blunt and mucronate, entire, glabrous, 0.6–2 × 0.3–1.2 cm, with single prominent midvein below. Petiolule ca. 1.2 mm. Axillary pedunculate capitate umbels of 5–20 flowers, peduncles ca. 7 mm, glabrous or very sparse pubescent, pedicels ca. 3–4 mm, glabrous. Calyx tube broadly campanulate with very short teeth; corolla 10–15 × 7–8 mm, white shading to pink, glabrous; wings whitish, connivent and enclosing the keels, inflated, ca. 1 cm long, glabrous. Stamens 10, diadelphous, included; anthers yellow; style ca. 1.5 mm long, glabrous, up curved; stigma capitate. Pod 2–6 cm, 4 angled, erect, 3–7 seeded, indehiscent but articulated into joints 4–6 mm long with a terminal beak; seeds tightly enclosed in pod. Fl. May–Aug, fr. autumn.

Native to central and southern Europe, now common throughout the Mediterranean region; now cultivated in NE China.

Used as an ornamental, also for medicine.

2. Coronilla emerus Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 742. 1753.

蝎子旃那 xie zi zhan na

Dwarf and dense shrub, 0.5–1 m tall, branches greenish, with acis 5–7, appressed whitish pubescence, latter glabrescent. Leaves imparipinnate, leaflets 5–9, stipules triangular to lanceolate, ca. 1–2 mm, pubescent, free; petiole 5–8 mm, pubescent; leaflets, glossy dark green, obovate, 5–15 × 3–9 mm, the end leaflet often larger, with glabrescent above, pubescent beneath, petiolules very short pubescent as is the rachis. Axillary pedunculate capitate umbels of 2–4(–7), peduncles 2–7 cm, pubescent; pedicels ca. 3 mm, with basal bracteoles. Calyx tube campanulate, membranous, ca. 4 mm, with ca. 1 mm teeth, pubescent; corolla 1.4–2 cm long, pale yellow, standard with a long claw, wings connivent and enclosing the keels, ovary glabrous. Pod pendent, straight, 5–11 cm, with 3–12 segment. Fl. Apr–May, fr. May–Jun.

Native to C Europe, cultivated in Shaanxi.

Used as an ornamental.