Fumaria indica (Hausskn.) Pugsley

Very similar to Fumaria parviflora Lam. but leaf segments flat or almost fiat, very much like those in Fumaria vaillantii Lois., from which it differs by its bracts which are as long or slightly longer than pedicels. It is said to be a hybrid between the 2 species, Fumaria parviflora Lam. and Fumaria asepala Boiss., both recorded by Blatter & Fernandez (l.c. 675-676) from Waziristan are probably mis-identification of this species. These species do not occur in our area, but closely resemble Fumaria indica in having bracts as long as the pedicels. Used as fodder and in local medicines as blood purifier.

Small, delicate, much branched, leafy, diffuse herb, 5-25 (-40) cm long, glaucous, glabrous. Leaves (2-) 3-10 cm long, (1-) 2-5 cm broad, long-stalked to subsessile, much dissected, 2-3 -pinnatisect or decompound, with (2-) 3-5 pairs of lateral pinnae and a terminal one; pinnae long-petioluled to subsessile; 1-3 cm long, 0.5-2 (-2.5) cm broad, often ternately lobed with each lobe deeply, finely lobuled into linear ultimate segments (lobules) up to 5 (-8) mm long, 1 mm broad, flat to slightly channelled. Racemes shortly peduncled to subsessile, leaf-opposed, 6-12 (-15)-flowered, 10-20 mm long; bracts as long as or slightly longer than pedicels; linear, submembranous, whitish. Pedicel erect, 1.5-2 (-2.5) mm long, with midian ridge and somewhat expanded margins, slightly broader below the fruit or at its apex. Flowers 5-6 mm long, usually white or pale pinkish. Sepals minute, less than 1 mm long, 0.5 mm broad, sometimes obsolete or inconspicuous, laciniate-dentate, whitish, membranous. Upper petal with very short suborbicular, slightly oblong and obscurely downcurved spur, c. 1.5 mm long (or about ½ of the lamina of upper petal). Fruit c. 2 mm in diam., suborbicular, with usually rounded apex when mature (slightly or minutely apiculate when young), slightly or obscurely keeled (on the margins corresponding to pedicel margins), keel more distinct in slightly young fruits, somewhat rugose when dried and with 2 obscure apical pits, 1-seeded; seed 1-1.5 mm in diam., brownish.

W. Asia, India.

Distribution: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan & C. Asia; introduced elsewhere.

150-2400 m

Fl. Per.: March June.