Fabaceae

Pseudeminia Verdc.

First published in Kew Bull. 24: 393 (1970)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Central African Republic, Tanzania to S. Tropical Africa.

Descriptions

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

Habit
Herbs or subshrubs
Ecology
Seasonally dry tropical woodland, thicket, bushland, wooded grassland and scrubland or in old cultivated areas
Distribution
Africa (Zambezian region)
Note
Pseudeminia and the closely related Pseudovigna Verdc. are placed in subtribe Glycininae on molecular data (Bruneau et al., 1995; Doyle et al., 2000; Lee & Hymowitz, 2001)

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

Morphology General Habit
Robust perennial climber or forming spreading tangled mats
Morphology Leaves
Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, petiolate; stipules and stipels persistent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in dense axillary false racemes, the flowers paired; bracts conspicuous, protruding from the inflorescence; secondary bracts present at the base of the pedicels; bracteoles 2, filiform
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 5-lobed, the lobes drawn out into long filiform points which are not gland-tipped, the upper lobes connate at the base or for up to half their length
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard elliptic, markedly auriculate; appendages reduced to small ridges
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Vexillary filament free; anthers uniform
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary fusiform, hirsute; style filiform and hairy in lower half, then horizontally dilated, the apical part again filiform or bent at a right-angle above the dilation
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods oblong, compressed, 2-seeded
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds irregularly oblong-reniform, compressed; hilum round; rim-aril small, with a conspicuous bent cartilaginous funicle-remnant persistent.
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Trailing or climbing perennial herb.
Morphology Stem
Stems covered in ferruginous or golden hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; leaflets lobed; stipules and stipels present.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences many-flowered, dense axillary pseudoracemes; bracts conspicuous, secondary bracts present, bracteoles filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 5-lobed, pilose, the lobes sharply narrowing to terminate in a filiform point, the upper pair connate for up to half their length, not gland-tipped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla medium sized; standard elliptic, auriculate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Vexillary stamen free.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary spindle-shaped, hairy; style filfiform, geniculate, hairy for most of its length, widening slightly at the knee, then filiform and glabrous with a terminal stigma.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod oblong, compressed, hairy, dehiscent, 1–2-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds black, essentially oblong to reniform; rim aril small, funicle remnant persistant.
[FZ]

Uses

Use
Used for ground cover; roots with saponins used for soap
[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