Fabaceae

Eminia Taub.

First published in Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 9: 29 (1891)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tanzania to S. Africa.

Descriptions

Legumes of the World. Edited by G. Lewis, B. Schrire, B. MacKinder & M. Lock. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (2005)

Habit
Herbs or shrubs
Ecology
Seasonally dry tropical woodland, riverine thicket, wooded grassland, bushland and shrubland, often on rocky slopes at mid to higher altitudes
Distribution
Africa (Zambezian region)
Note
Placed in subtribe Glycininae (see note under Pseudeminia) and closely related to Pseudeminia Verdc. and Pseudovigna Verdc.

Previous accounts of the Phaseoleae by Baudet (1978) and Lackey (1981) recognised 90 and 84 genera and c. 1540 and 1480 species respectively in the tribe. In an equivalent, i.e. traditionally held view of Phaseoleae, 89 genera and (1554)–1567–(1580) species are treated here (Table 9; Fig. 47). Changes between Baudet (1978) and this treatment are that eleven genera are now in synonymy or have subsequently been placed in Millettieae, two genera have been transferred from Desmodieae and eight new genera have been added. Vigna has traditionally been thought to comprise some 150–200 species, but Vigna sens. strict. may contain fewer than 100.

Recent molecular analyses of the tribe, however, have emphasised both the polyphyletic and paraphyletic nature of Phaseoleae as traditionally circumscribed (Bruneau & Doyle, 1990; Doyle & Doyle, 1993; Delgado Salinas et al., 1993; Bruneau et al., 1995; Doyle et al., 1997, 2000; Kajita et al., 2001; Goel et al., 2001; Lee & Hymowitz, 2001). This has required a radical realignment of elements of the phaseoloids (Table 9; Fig. 47), with at least two major clades being evident: Phaseoleae subtribes Diocleinae and Ophrestiinae which together with tribe Abreae are allied to the core-Millettieae (Fig. 45), and the remaining groups comprising a Phaseoleae sens. lat. clade. The rbcL phylogeny of Kajita et al. (2001) and the ITS analysis of Hu et al. (2002) are equivocal as to which clade subtribe Clitoriinae belongs. Phaseoleae sens. lat. also includes two traditionally independent tribes, the Desmodieae and Psoraleeae. Delimiting a recircumscribed Phaseoleae sens. strict is thus very problematic. A solution may be to recognise a broad tribe Phaseoleae, comprising the subtribes Kennediinae, Cajaninae, Phaseolinae and Glycininae, assorted basally branching genera, and tribes Desmodieae and Psoraleeae (both treated at subtribal level).

[LOWO]

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect or climbing herbs or subshrubs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; stipules and stipels present.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence an axillary or terminal pseudoraceme; bracts and bracteoles gland-tipped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 4–5-lobed, the upper lobes often connate, pubescent; lobes up to 5-toothed, each tooth gland-tipped or not.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla small; standard obovate, clawed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Vexillary stamen free, the rest fused into a sheath.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary spindle-shaped, hirsute; style geniculate, filiform, bearded proximally, widening slightly towards the bend, with a minute terminal stigma.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod oblong, compressed, dehiscent, (1)2(3)-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds deep red to very dark brown, suborbicular or rectangular, with a small hilum bearing a small persistent cartilaginous funicle remnant.
[FZ]

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit
Erect or climbing herbs or subshrubs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, petiolate; stipules and stipels small
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in axillary false racemes, those at the ends of the shoots running together forming a false spike; bracts and bracteoles aristate, gland-tipped
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 4–5-lobed, the upper lobes ±connate; lobes linear-lanceolate, aristate, their tips clavate and glandular, or oblong, 3–5-fid, each division with a glandular tip
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard obovate, auriculate; appendages reduced to thickenings
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Vexillary stamen free; anthers uniform
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary fusiform, hirsute; style filiform, apical third glabrous, bent at a right-angle; stigma terminal, minute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods oblong, compressed, (1–)2–3-seeded
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds suborbicular or ± rectangular or trigonous, compressed; hilum round; rim-aril little developed, but a small cartilaginous funicle-remnant persistent.
[FTEA]

Uses

Use
Used as human food and drink (roots contain amylase used in brewing beer)
[LOWO]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Legumes of the World Online

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0