Teramnus P.Browne

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herbs, climbing or trailing, more rarely erect subshrubs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves pinnately or subdigitately 3-foliolate; stipels and stipules present

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, falsely racemose, the flowers paired or in fascicles along the axis, or flowers in axillary fascicles

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 4–5-lobed according to whether the upper 2 lobes are free or united

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard obovate or rounded, not appendaged nor auriculate, glabrous or with few hairs near middle Corolla small, almost or quite glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Vexillary stamen free or joined to the others; 5 normal anthers with alternate anthers small and sterile or lacking

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary linear, many-ovuled, often with tuft of hairs at the apex; style short and thick or obsolete, glabrous but hidden in a hair-tuft; stigma capitate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod linear, ± 8-seeded, the style-base accrescent, forming a right-angled hook at the apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds oblong, ovoid or subglobose; hilum short, sometimes circular, lateral, with a small thin scale-like aril; sometimes there is a rough granular coating on the seed-surface apparently due to the breakdown of the epidermis, otherwise the surface is smooth and shining.

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

Morphology General Habit

Trailing or climbing perennial herbs, rarely subshrubs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves pinnately (or subdigitately 3-foliolate); stipels and stipules present.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers paired or in clusters in the axils, or more commonly paired or clustered along axillary axes.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 5-lobed, the upper two lobes united or not.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla small; standard obovate to rounded, glabrous apart from occasional hairs around the centre.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Vexillary stamen free or joined to the others; 5 anthers normally developed, alternate anthers poorly developed or lacking.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary sessile, many-ovuled, linear, often with a tuft of hairs at the apex surrounding the style; style short, thick, glabrous, with a capitate stigma.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod linear; style base accrescent, forming a right-angled hook at the apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds oblong, ovoid or subglobose, with a short hilum and sometimes a thin rim aril.

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

Slender twining herbaceous vines, more or less pubescent; leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, with stipels; stipules small.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers very small, in axillary racemes or clusters; bracteoles linear or lanceolate; calyx-lobes 5, or 4 with the upper one 2-toothed; standard obovate, narrowed below into a long claw, not appendaged; wings narrow, adherent to the keel; keel shorter than the wings, almost straight, obtuse

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 10, all united into a closed sheath, the filaments alternately long and short, the anthers on short filaments sterile

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary sessile, the style thick and glabrous, the stigma capitate; ovules many

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Pod linear-elongate, compressed, 2-valvate, straight or curved, septate within, at apex often beaked.

Distribution

A small pantropical genus of about 4 species.

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

Note

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).

Placed in subtribe Glycininae; a natural genus but species delimitation is difficult

Habit

Climbing herbs or subshrubs

Ecology

Mainly seasonally dry tropical bushland and thicket, grassland, wooded grassland and forest clearings, often in open and rocky dry areas

Distribution

Principally Old World tropics (Africa, SE Asia [Indian subcontinent, S China, Indo-China, to Malesia]); 1 sp. neotropical and 2 pantropical