Fabaceae
Aeschynomene

Aeschynomene americana L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 713 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & Subtropical America. It is an annual, perennial or subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used to treat unspecified medicinal disorders, has environmental uses and as animal food and a medicine.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Low slender-branched to robust bushy annual up to more than 1 m tall; stems glabrous to thinly hispid, often with glandular hairs
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules peltate, appendaged below the point of attachment. Leaflets up to ca. 30 pairs, 5–15 mm long, 1–2 mm broad
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence few-flowered; calyx 3–6 mm long; corolla 5–10 mm long, usually white tinged pale violet or yellowish
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit up to about 8-jointed, the upper margin entire or slightly crenate, the lower margin deeply indented, the segments ca. 4 mm long, glabrous to puberulous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2–3 mm long, dark brown.
Distribution
Grand Cayman. Western Hemisphere from Florida and Mexico to Argentina; common in the West Indies; reported also from Sierra Leone in W. Africa.
[Cayman]

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Protein Content

35.30% Entire seed/nut. Moisture content not stated (Earle & Jones, 1962)

[SID]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian grassland, Cultivated
Morphology General Habit
Annual/Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub
Vernacular
American Joint-Vetch, American Sensitive Plant, Dormidera Cimarrona, Joint Vetch, Morivivi Bobo, Pega Pega, Tamarindillo, Thornless Mimosa, Yerba Rosario
[ILDIS]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
adormidera, cadillo, cargarrocío, dormidera, dormidera cimarrona, dormideras, pegapega, zarza
[UNAL]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 15 - 1900 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba, arbusto, trepadora
Conservation
Preocupación Menor
[CPLC]

Leguminosae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:6. 2000

Morphology General Habit
Erect or decumbent herb, 0.3–1.5(2) m tall.
Morphology Stem
Stems glandular-hispid to subglabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 2–7 cm long, c. 20–60-foliolate, the petiole and rhachis hispidulous; leaflets glabrous, 2–several-costate, ciliate, 4–15 × 1–2 mm, subfalcate, apiculate, the base asymmetrically rounded; stipules peltate-appendiculate, glabrous or somewhat hispid at the point of attachment, striate, usually ciliate, (5)10–25 × 1–4 mm, the upper portion attenuate, 2–3 times longer than the lower acute or erose portion.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, racemose, few-flowered, the axes hispidulous; bracts c. 2–4 × 2–3 mm, cordate, acuminate or, sometimes, truncate-flabelliform, glabrous, ciliate; bracteoles 2–4 × 1–1.5 mm, linear to linear-ovate, acute to acuminate, serrate-ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers c. 5–10 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx glabrous to hispidulous, bilabiate, 3–6 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla yellowish to tan, usually with red or purplish lines, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 2–3 cm long, 3–9-articulate, the stipe c. 2 mm long, the articles semicircular, the upper margin essentially straight, the lower curved, 3–6 × 2.5–5 mm, glandular-hispidulous, or glabrous or nearly so, usually muricate, the margins thickened, reticulate-veined; seeds dark brown, 2–3 × 1.5–2 mm.
[FZ]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 15–1900 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlántico, Boyacá, Caldas, Cauca, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Guaviare, Huila, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb, Shrub, Climbing.
Conservation
National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
Vernacular
Adormidera dulce, Cujicillo, Dormidera, Pega pega, Pulmón, Rudu huequi aho, Zarza
[UPFC]

Papilionaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit
A half-woody shrub about 3 ft. high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Pink flowers
Morphology Leaves
Leaves sensitive to touch.
[FWTA]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Distribution
Native from Colombia.
Ecology
Alt. 15 - 1900 m.
Vernacular
Rudu huequi aho.
[UPB]

Uses

Use
Environmental, Forage, Miscellaneous, Weed
[ILDIS]

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Use Environmental
Environmental uses (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Animal Food
Eaten by animals (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders
Medicinal (Instituto Humboldt 2014).
[UPB]

Common Names

Spanish
Dormidera, pega pega, zarza, adormidera dulce, cujicillo, pulmón.

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

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

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

  • Flora Zambesiaca

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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

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

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    • International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Seed Information Database

    • Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. (2019) Seed Information Database (SID). Version 7.1. Available from: http://data.kew.org/sid/ (September 2019)
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

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

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

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

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

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