Aeschynomene fulgida Welw. ex Baker

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

Morphology General Habit

An erect branched shrub or undershrub 0.6–3.6 m. tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems covered with dense viscid tubercular-based hairs, later glabrescent or practically glabrous and ridged.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 16–70-foliolate; leaflets linear or linear-oblong to obovate-oblong, 0.2–1.2 cm. long, 0.5–3 mm. wide, retuse to rounded and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, glabrous (rarely ciliate in some Angola specimens), densely minutely pellucid dotted; main nerve central; petiole and rhachis together 1–6.5 cm. long, glabrous or pubescent; petiolules 0.5 mm. long; stipules linear to ovate, 0.4–1.5 cm. long, 1–3.5 mm. wide, acuminate, not appendaged or with slight traces of an appendage, deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary and/or terminal, branched or simple, sometimes aggregated to form leafy panicles, 3- to usually many-flowered; rhachis 3–13(–24) cm. long; peduncle 0.5–2 cm. long, densely pubescent; pedicels 2–7 mm. long, densely pubescent; bracts elliptic, 4–7 mm. long, 3–4.5 mm. wide, 2–3-fid, often ciliate, soon falling; bracteoles ovate, 5–7 mm. long, 2–3.5 mm. wide, glabrous, sometimes ciliolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx glabrous or almost so, 2-lipped, the lips ovate-oblong or elliptic, 8–10 mm. long, 4–5 mm. wide, one emarginate, the other slightly 3-lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard orange, violin-shaped, 1.6–1.9 cm. long, 0.9–1.2 cm. wide, emarginate; wings orange; keel-petals orange, not laciniate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod of 1 or 2 articles joined by a very narrow neck, each elliptic, one margin slightly curved or straight, the other strongly curved, 0.8–1.2 cm. long, 5–8 mm. wide, compressed at first, glabrous, smooth and reticulate, but sometimes slightly rugulose when adult.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds chestnut, elliptic-reniform, compressed, longest dimension 4.5–5.5 mm., shorter dimension 3–3.5 mm., 1.5 mm. thick; hilum small, broadly elliptic.

Habitat

“Wet ditch”; 1500 m.

Distribution

T7

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian freshwater swamp and aquatic vegetation

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub

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

Morphology General Habit

An erect branched shrub or undershrub 0.6–3.6 m tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems covered with dense viscid tubercular-based hairs, later glabrescent or practically glabrous and ridged.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 16–70-foliolate; leaflets 2–12 × 0.5–3 mm, linear or linear-oblong to obovate-oblong, retuse to rounded and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, glabrous (rarely ciliate in some Angolan specimens), densely minutely pellucid-dotted; main nerve central; petiole and rhachis together 1–6.5 cm long, glabrous or pubescent; petiolules 0.5 mm long; stipules 4–15 × 1–3.5 mm, linear to ovate, acuminate, not appendaged or with slight traces of an appendage, deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary and/or terminal, branched or simple, sometimes aggregated to form leafy panicles, 3- to usually many-flowered; peduncle 5–20 mm long, densely pubescent; rhachis 3–13(24) cm long; pedicels 2–7 mm long, densely pubescent; bracts 2–3-fid, 4–7 × 3–4.5 mm, elliptic, often ciliate, soon falling; bracteoles 5–7 × 2–3.5 mm, ovate, glabrous, sometimes ciliolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx glabrous or almost so, 2-lipped; lips 8–10 × 4–5 mm, ovate-oblong or elliptic, one emarginate, the other slightly 3-lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard orange, 16–19 × 9–12 mm, violin-shaped, emarginate; wings orange; keel petals orange, not laciniate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit of 1 or 2 articles joined by a very narrow neck, each article elliptic, one margin slightly curved or straight, the other strongly curved, 8–12 × 5–8 mm, compressed at first, glabrous, smooth and reticulate, but sometimes slightly rugulose when adult.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds chestnut-brown, 4.5–5.5 × 3–3.5 × 1.5 mm, elliptic-reniform, compressed; hilum small, broadly elliptic.