Adenodolichos rhomboideus (O.Hoffm.) Harms

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

Morphology General Habit

Trailing subshrub from a woody rootstock or creeping underground rhizome; stems ridged, pubescent or glabrescent, up to several metres long, forming large patches; flowering shoots erect or ± prostrate; leafy shoots erect, 16–80 cm long; leaves and flowers appearing at the same time but often on different shoots.

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, 4–13(16) × 1.9–8(12) (exceptionally 17 × 14) cm, rhombic-ovate to ovate, the laterals ± oblique, all rounded at the apex, rounded to slightly subcordate at the base, the margin very slightly crenate, glabrous to puberulous above, pubescent beneath on the nerves; petiole (5)7.5–13(24) cm long; rhachis (0.5)3–3.5 cm long; petiolules thick, 3–9 mm long; stipules 3–6 × 1.5–2.5 mm, elliptic-oblong to lanceolate, hairy, soon falling; stipels 2–5 mm long, persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences terminal and axillary, pseudoracemose or paniculate, 9–55 cm long with few to many branches; peduncles 5–13 cm long; pedicels 2–12 mm long; bracts 3–7 × 1–3 mm, ovate, acuminate, deciduous or sometimes ± persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pubescent and glandular; tube 4–5 mm long; lobes 6–8 mm long, linear, oblong or lanceolate, the upper pair joined for over half their length.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard purple or crimson outside, pink inside, 12–14 × 10 mm, ± round, rounded to emarginate at the apex, with 2 triangular appendages.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 4–5.3 × 0.8–1.5 cm, oblanceolate-falcate, glandular pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds ± black, 7–8 × 5 × 2 mm, oblong-discoid; hilum narrow, 2 mm long.