Aeschynomene cristata Vatke

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

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or herb forming a dense coppice-like growth 0.9–3(6) m tall, with immersed procumbent rooting stems covered with prominent lenticels and erect branches.

Morphology Branches

Branches thick and soft at the base, glabrous to densely covered with sticky tubercular-based golden-brown hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 40–86-foliolate; leaflets 6–22 × 1–4.5 mm, linear to oblong, rounded to emarginate and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely emarginate at the base, entire or finely serrate, glabrous but with ciliolate margins; venation sometimes obvious and purplish beneath; petiole and rhachis together 4–19 cm long, hairy like the branches; petiolules 0.5 mm long; stipules 7–20 × 1.5–3 mm, ovate-lanceolate, straight, spurred, glabrous or hairy, eventually deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, (1)2–8-flowered; peduncle 3 cm long, glabrous or pubescent; rhachis 6 cm long; pedicels 8–16(22) mm long; bracts 4–7 × 2–3.5 mm, ovate; bracteoles 4–6 × 2–4 mm, ovate, ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pubescent or hairy, 2-lipped; lips oblong, unequal, one 8–12 × 5–8 mm, emarginate, the other 11–16 × 6–8 mm, 3-lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard deep yellow to orange-yellow or sometimes brownish-purple, 1.8–3.3 cm long and wide, round, pubescent above outside; wings deep yellow to orange-yellow; keel petals yellow or brownish, laciniate along their lower margins, hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 5–11 cm long excluding the 2 cm stipe, linear, straight or slightly curved, 6–12-jointed, glabrous or sparsely hairy, the margins slightly thickened, ± straight or slightly constricted between the joints; articles 8–12 × 7–10 mm, oblong, compressed, at first venulose, later often with the central part ornamented with spine-like tubercles up to 1 mm long, but mostly quite smooth.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds purplish-brown or pale chestnut-brown, shiny, up to 7 × 3.5 × 1.8 mm, narrowly oblong-reniform, curved and canoe-shaped at one end; hilum linear-oblong.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Sudanian freshwater swamp and aquatic vegetation, Somalia-Masai freshwater swamp and aquatic vegetation, Zambezian freshwater swamp and aquatic vegetation

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub

Vernacular

Fanisejetra, Fotsy, Hamotsy, Hamotsy Fotsy, Poakaty

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

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or herb, with immersed procumbent rooting stems covered with prominent lenticels and erect branches, forming dense coppice-like growths 0.9–3(–6) m. tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems thick and soft at the base, glabrous to densely covered with sticky tubercular-based golden-brown hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 40–86-foliolate; leaflets linear to oblong, 0.6–2.2 cm. long, 1–4.5 mm. wide, rounded to emarginate and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely emarginate at the base, entire or finely serrate, glabrous but with ciliolate margins; venation sometimes obvious and purplish beneath; petiole and rhachis together 4–19 cm. long, hairy like the stems; petiolules 0.5 mm. long; stipules ovate-lanceolate, straight, spurred, 0.7–2 cm. long, 1.5–3 mm. wide, glabrous or hairy, eventually deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, (1–)2–8-flowered; rhachis 6 cm. long; peduncle 3 cm. long, glabrous or pubescent; pedicels 0.8–1.6(–2-2) cm. long; bracts ovate, 4–7 mm. long, 2–3.5 mm. wide; bracteoles ovate, 4–6 mm. long, 2–4 mm. wide, ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pubescent or hairy, 2-lipped, the lips oblong, unequal, one 0.8–1.2 cm. long, 5–8 mm. wide, emarginate, the other 1.1–1.6 cm. long, 6–8 mm. wide, 3-lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard deep yellow to orange-yellow or sometimes brownish-purple, round, 1.8–3.3 cm. long and wide, pubescent above outside; wings deep yellow to orange-yellow; keel-petals yellow or brownish, laciniate along their lower margins, hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods linear, straight or slightly curved, 5–11 cm. long excluding the 2 cm. stipe, 6–12-jointed, glabrous or sparsely hairy, the margins slightly thickened, ± straight or slightly constricted between the joints; articles oblong, 0.8–1.2 cm. long, 7–10 mm. wide, compressed, at first venulose, later often with the central part ornamented with spine-like tubercles up to 1 mm. long, but mostly quite smooth.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds purplish-brown or pale chestnut, shiny, narrowly oblong-reniform, curved and canoe-shaped at one end, longest dimension up to 7 mm., shorter dimension 3.5 mm., 1.8 mm. thick; hilum linear-oblong.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or herb, 0.9–3(–6) m tall, stem thick and soft at the base

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 40–86, linear to oblong, 6–22 x 1–4.5 mm, glabrous but with ciliolate margins

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences (1–)2–8-flowered

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 11–16 mm long, pubescent, upper lip emarginate, lower lip 3-lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard round, 18–33 mm long; keel-petals laciniate along lower margin

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 50–110 x 7–10 mm with a stipe c. 20 mm long, 6–12-jointed, margins straight or slightly constricted between the articles, glabrous or sparsely hairy.

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