Dolichos L.

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 and subtropical forest, woodland, bushland and thicket, wooded grassland and grassland

Distribution

Africa (mostly Zambezian and Sudanian to Somalia-Masai and Afromontane regions; c. 55 spp.) and SE Asia (5-6 spp. in the Indian subcontinent, S China, Indo-China and Malesia)

Note

Placed in subtribe Phaseolinae, allied to Macrotyloma and Nesphostylis (Thulin et al., 2004)

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).

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

Morphology General Habit

Herbs or shrubs, climbing, prostrate or frequently erect; rootstock frequently very large and woody, containing a reddish resinous substance which also occurs as dots in other tissues of some species

Morphology Leaves

Leaves pinnately3-foliolate, subdigitate or 1-foliolate, often not developing until flowering is well under way; stipules and stipels present

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers axillary, fasciculate or in falsely terminal or axillary false racemes or umbels

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 5-lobed, the upper pair of lobes joined to form an entire to 2-toothed lip

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla small to medium-sized, yellow or purple, glabrous; standard ± round, frequently auriculate and provided with short, oblong, conic or lamelliform appendages usually only about 2 mm. long; wings obovate or oblong, not very narrow; keel not twisted but often beaked

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Vexillary stamen free; anthers uniform

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 3–12-ovuled; style swollen, thickened, often ± twisted towards the base, usually glabrous (sometimes pubescent in South African species) and mostly with a ring of hairs around the terminal capitate stigma

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods straight or curved, compressed, not septate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds compressed; hilum short and usually central; aril mostly developed only to a slight extent.

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

Morphology General Habit

Herbs or shrubs, often suffrutescent with annual stems from a perennial rootstock, prostrate, climbing or erect; rootstock often large and woody or fibrous, containing a reddish resin which occurs as reddish dots in other tissues of some species.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate, pinnate or rarely digitate, or l-foliolate, often developing after the flowers; stipules and stipels present.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, sometimes appearing falsely terminal; flowers solitary or arranged in fascicles (clusters), in pseudoracemes or occasionally subcapitate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 5-lobed, the upper pair of lobes almost or completely fused to form an entire or bifid tip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla small to medium-sized, pale to bright yellow or more commonly pale to deep purple, glabrous; standard roundish, often auriculate with small, oblong, cone-shaped appendages c. 2 mm long; wings obovate or oblong; keel not twisted (as in some species of Vigna) but often beaked.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Vexillary stamen free, rarely with a tooth at the filament base; anthers uniform.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 3–12-ovuled; style swollen, thickened, often twisted towards the base, usually glabrous (pubescent in some South African species) and usually with a ring of hairs (penicillate) around the terminal capitate stigma.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods straight or curved, laterally compressed, not septate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds compressed; hilum short and usually central; aril only slightly developed.