Aeschynomene bracteosa Welw. ex Baker

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian woodland

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub

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

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect, somewhat spreading or almost prostrate intricately branched sticky subshrub, 4–15 mm high, or tufted pyrophyte, 7–35 cm high, with a thick woody rootstock.

Morphology Stem

Stems several–30, glabrous to densely pubescent with sticky tubercular-based short hairs, ± rugose.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves (6)12–56-foliolate; leaflets 1–7 × 0.3–1.5(3) mm, oblong or oblong-elliptic, acute to rounded at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, glabrous, sometimes denticulate-ciliate; main nerve somewhat or very eccentric; petiole and rhachis together 0.5–3 cm long, pubescent or glabrous; petiolules 0.3 mm long; stipules 1.5–5(7.5) × 0.5–2(3) mm, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, not appendaged, sometimes ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary or terminal, branched, several- to many-flowered; peduncle 0.2–3.5 cm long; rhachis 0.5–10(14) cm long, often zigzag; pedicels 2–8(17) mm long; bracts 2-lobed to the base, persistent, the lobes 1–3.5(6) × 0.5–1.5(2.5) mm, ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, entire or 2-fid, pubescent to glabrous; bracteoles 1.5–3(6) × 0.5–1(1.3) mm, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, often ciliate, persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx glabrous, 2-lipped, one 3–5 × 2–3.5 mm, elliptic or ovate, emarginate or 2-toothed, the other 4–5(6.5) × 2–3.5 mm, oblong, 3-toothed, both ciliate above.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard yellow or orange, rarely cream-coloured, 5–10 × 2.5–7 mm, violin-shaped, emarginate; wings and keel petals yellow, the latter not laciniate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit of 1 article or sometimes 2, joined by a very narrow neck, each article rounded, 4–5(7) × 3.5–4.5(6) mm, compressed or slightly inflated, glabrous, densely and finely rugulose when adult.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds pale brown, compressed, 3.4 × 2.5 × c. 1 mm, almost semicircular in outline; hilum small, circular, eccentric.

Note

A very variable species. Two taxa which I had thought might be species have been retained at varietal rank. A. nambalensis cited below is actually about intermediate between var. bracteosa and var. delicatula.