Fabaceae
Aeschynomene

Aeschynomene heurckeana Baker

First published in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 20: 130 (1883)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to S. Tropical Africa, Central Madagascar. It is a subshrub or shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect, spreading or trailing subshrub 0.6–4.5 m. long or tall.
Morphology Stem
Stems glabrescent to densely covered with short tubercular-based hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 12–32-foliolate; leaflets oblong, obovate-oblong or linear-oblong, 2–10(–15) mm. long, 1–3.5 mm. wide, rounded and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, glabrous or slightly pubescent beneath, often ciliolate when young; petiole and rhachis together 1–5(–6) cm. long, pubescent; petiolules 0.5 mm. long; stipules ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 0.6–2.5 cm. long, 1.5–3.5 mm. wide, acuminate, obliquely appendaged on one side, leafy, glabrous or pubescent, persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, several–10-flowered, often branched; rhachis 1–9.5 cm. long, sometimes zigzag; peduncle 1–2(–5) cm. long; pedicels 0.3–1.3 cm. long; bracts 1.5–4 mm. long, 2–3-lobed, ± persistent; bracteoles ovate-lanceolate, 2–4 mm. long, 0.5–1 mm. wide, usually ciliolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx glabrous or slightly pubescent, 2-lipped, the lips ovate, 4–6 mm. long, 3–4 mm. wide, one 2-toothed, the other 3-toothed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard orange-yellow with reddish veins, violin-shaped, 0.7–1.1 cm. long, 4–7 mm. wide; wings orange-yellow, paler towards the base; keel-petals pale greenish-yellow, not laciniate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods of 2 (rarely 1) articles, joined by a very narrow neck, each rounded-ellipsoid or semicircular, 4–6.5 mm. long, 3–4 mm. wide, compressed or slightly inflated, glabrous, reticulate, sometimes with a slightly granular texture, the margins slightly thickened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds reddish-brown, oblong-reniform, longest dimension 3.5 mm., shorter dimension 2.3 mm., 1.5 mm. thick; hilum small, elliptic.
Habitat
Grassland, secondary bushland, marshes; 1200–2100 m.
Distribution
T1 T4 T7 T8
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian grassland, Zambezian bushland and thicket, Zambezian freshwater swamp and aquatic vegetation
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub
[ILDIS]

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
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect, spreading or trailing subshrub 0.6–4.5 m long or tall.
Morphology Stem
Stems glabrescent to densely covered with short tubercular-based hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 12–32-foliolate; leaflets 2–10(15) × 1–3.5 mm, oblong, obovate-oblong or linear-oblong, rounded and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, glabrous or slightly pubescent beneath, often ciliolate when young; petiole and rhachis together 1–5(6) cm long, pubescent; petiolules 0.5 mm long; stipules 6–25 × 1.5–3.5 mm, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, obliquely appendaged on one side, leaf-like, glabrous or pubescent, persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, several- to 10-flowered, often branched; peduncle 1–2(5) cm long; rhachis 1–9.5 cm long, sometimes zigzag; pedicels 3–13 mm long; bracts 1.5–4 mm long, 2–3-lobed, ± persistent; bracteoles 2–4 × 0.5–1 mm, ovate-lanceolate, usually ciliolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx glabrous or slightly pubescent, 2-lipped; lips 4–6 × 3–4 mm, ovate, one 2-toothed, the other 3-toothed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard orange-yellow with reddish veins, 7–11 × 4–7 mm, violin-shaped; wings orange-yellow, paler towards the base; keel petals pale greenish-yellow, not laciniate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit of 2 (rarely 1) articles joined by a very narrow neck, each article rounded-ellipsoid or semicircular, 4–6.5 × 3–4 mm, compressed or slightly inflated, glabrous, reticulate, sometimes with a slightly granular texture, the margins slightly thickened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds reddish-brown, 3.5 × 2.3 × 1.5 mm, oblong-reniform; hilum small, elliptic.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    • International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0