Uraria picta (Jacq.) DC.

Erect perennial, undershrub, 20-180 cm tall, branches pubescent. Lower leaf 1-3-foliolate, upper 5-9-foliolate, leaflets of the lower leaf 2-8 cm long, 2.0-3.0 cm broad, ovate; of upper leaves, 7-25 cm long, 5-25 mm broad, ovate-lanceolate, acute, mucronate, often variegated, glabrescent above, pubescent below, petiole 3.5-6.5 cm long; stipules 4.5-5.0 mm long. Inflorescence rachis 10-70 cm long, peduncle 0-5 cm long. Bracts 1.4-2.5 cm long, acuminate, completely concealing the bud, deciduous. Pedicel 6-9 mm long. Calyx 4-5 mm long, pubescent, hairs tubercular-based, lobes 4-5 mm long. Corolla purple, pink or bluish, 8-9 mm long. Fruit 5-9 mm long, with 3-6 segments, each 2-3 mm broad, glabrous, smooth, polished, folded on one another.

Tropical Africa, Himalaya, India. Ceylon, S.E. Asia, China, Malaysia, Australia.

Distribution: Pakistan; throughout India, Ceylon, Tropical Africa, Malaysia, Philippines.

1000-1100 m

Fl.Per.: June-September.

picta: brilliantly marked, ornamental (in this case referring to the variegated leaves)

Tall perennial herb, up to 1.8 m tall. Stems with short, rough hairs. Leaves imparipinnate with 5-9 leaflets (lowermost leaves often 1-3-foliolate); leaflets narrowly lanceolate, 7-25 cm long (lowermost smaller), often variegated, shiny and hairless above, rough hairy below; margins entire. Inflorescence a long terminal densely many-flowered spike-like raceme, up to 55 cm long, covered in long whitish hairs. Flowers pink, bluish or reddish. Fruit 5-9 mm long, folded into 3-6 segments, brown to black, turning greyish-white when old.

Rare

Widespread in tropical Africa, Asia and northern Australia.

Uraria picta, also known by its common name Prishniparni is a species from the genus Uraria. The species was described in 1825.