Fabaceae

Pea Family

Crotalaria lejoloba Benth.

Rusty Rattlepod

Nepali: Jungraban

A weedy species found in open areas and high grasslands. It is often eaten by passing cattle. The flowers are yellow and spaced out on long racemes. Ovate leaves are spread out along strong stems. Pods are oblong containing about 20 seeds.  It is found in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. 

Crotalaria cytisoides DC

Broom Rattlepod

Nepali: Bakhre ghans or Silsile

An eye-catching erect shrub with dense spikes of yellow flowers growing next to the road on the way to Phulchowki at 1900m.The leaves are trifoliate, oval to a pointed end, and spaced on long spreading stems. The flowers are produced at the ends of the stems on long racemes that are either erect or slightly drooping. The bright yellow petals have a tinge of brownish color in the middle of the keels. They are found in Nepal, Bhutan, SW China, and Myanmar.

Tateishia (Desmodium) concinnum 

(DC.) H. Ohashi & K. Ohashi

Blue Desmodium

Nepali: Gahate Jhaar, Masino Bhatamaase

Blooms from September to November along the road. The dark purple flowers are clustered on racemes hanging on drooping vines. Leaves are trifoliate. The plants were directly over the road at 1650m. It is found in the western to the eastern Himalayas.

Desmodium elegans DC.

Elegant Desmodium

Nepali: Raato Baakhre Ghass or Chaamle

Elegant desmodium has clusters of light pink to dark purple flowers on stalks with typical pea triple round leaflets. They flower between June to September at altitudes of 1500 to 3000m.

Desmodium gangeticum (L.) D.C

Sal-leaved Desmodium

Nepali: Ban Ghat

Sal-leaved desmodium has beautiful violet and white flowers that are borne on a long raceme. The leaves are large and long, ovoid to lanceolate. It grows along the road in the underbrush. Flowering was in August and it was seen growing from about 2000m up to 2400m on the road. It is widespread and common in the Asian region.

Trigonella emodi Benth.

Himalayan Fenugreek

Nepali: 

This perennial herb flowers in August and is found across the Himalayas. The 60cm plant has clusters of three broad ovate leaves, bright yellow peas-shaped flowers, leaves, and stems that show some fine hairs.   

Astragalus stipulatus Jacquem

Milk Vetch

Nepali:

In August this herbaceous plant was found above Naudhara Temple off the Phulchowki Road at an elevation of 1700m. The leaves and flowers were coiled inside a central stem surrounded by a tissue-like wrapper. At first, the flowers were greenish-yellow later the tips started to turn redder. It has a shrub-like appearance with imparipinnate leaves. It grows in the Himalayas from Pakistan to Nepal and Bhutan.

Erythrina arborescens Roxb.

Himalayan Coral Tree

Nepali: Thekee Kaath, Phaledo

This tree has beautiful coral-red flowers that match the red in the sunbirds that love to feed on the nectar. The leaves are trifoliate and the bark has strong thorns. It is often grown as ornamental but is found in the wild as on Phulchowki, blooming in September at 1800m. The tree has medicinal properties as well. The seeds contain a toxic alkaloid similar to curare.