Rhynchosia wildii Verdc.

Leguminosae, B. Mackinder, R. Pasquet, R. Polhill and B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:5. 2001

Morphology General Habit

Straggling much-branched aromatic sticky shrub 0.8–1.2 m tall; young branches densely pubescent and with numerous yellow tubercular based hairs; older stems pale grey, glabrescent, minutely fissured.

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, grey-green, 0.9–3 × 0.6–2 cm, elliptic, rhombic or obovate, shortly mucronate from a rounded apex, rounded to faintly subcordate at the base, shortly pubescent and with longer tubercular based hairs but surface not at all obscured; venation strongly raised and reticulate beneath; petiole 7.5–20 mm long; rhachis 3.5–10 mm long; stipules 2.5 × 2 mm, ovate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences terminal and from upper axils, 3–7 cm long with dense pubescence and yellow tubercular based hairs; peduncle c. 10 mm long; pedicels c. 1 mm long; bracts 8 × 4–5.5 mm, elliptic, with similar hairs to rhachis.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx with similar hairs; tube 5 mm long; 3 lower teeth subequal with lowest slightly the longest, up to 10 mm long; 2 upper teeth divergent 8 mm long, joined for 3 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard yellow, closely striate with blackish-purple, 22 × 12 mm (including claw), auricled at the base, glabrous; claw 5 mm long, deeply grooved, the groove extending on to the base of the standard for 4 mm and with prominent edges; wings yellow, narrowly oblong, auricled at the base; keel greenish, slightly striated with blackish-purple; blade 13 × 8 mm, semicircular-falcate; claw 5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 2.5 × 1 cm, falcate, narrowed at the base, finely pubescent and with long tubercular based hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds (immature) reddish-brown, 5.5 × 4.5 mm.