Aeschynomene indica L.

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect subshrubby annual or perennial herb, 0.3–2.5 m tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems mostly slender, c. 5 mm wide at the base but sometimes thick and spongy up to 2.5 cm wide, pubescent with mostly rather sparse tubercular-based sometimes glandular hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves sometimes sensitive, 16–50(70)-foliolate; leaflets 3–13 × 1–3 mm, linear-oblong, rounded and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, entire or very finely serrulate, glabrous; venation obscure; petiole and rhachis together 1.2–10 cm long, with tubercular-based hairs; petiolules 0.3 mm long; stipules 3–15 × 1–3.5 mm, elliptic-lanceolate, straight, spurred, deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences leaf-opposed or axillary, 1–6-flowered; peduncle 8–21 mm long; rhachis 1.5–6 cm long; pedicels 1–2 and finally up to 8 mm long; bracts 3.5–6 × l.5–2.5 mm, mostly ovate, often lacerate or toothed, deciduous; bracteoles 2.5–4.5 × 1–2 mm, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, acuminate, ciliolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx glabrous, 2-lipped; lips 4–6 × 2–3 mm, oblong, one 2-fid, the other 3-fid.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard yellow or whitish, mostly lined and suffused with red outside or purplish, 7–10 × 4–7 mm, elliptic; wings and keel greenish-white or pale yellow, the petals of the latter not laciniate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 2.4–4.8 cm long excluding the 6–9 mm stipe, linear, straight or slightly curved, 5–13-jointed, one suture ± straight, the other slightly constricted between the articles; articles 3–5 mm long and wide, oblong, compressed, with sparse short tubercular-based hairs, central part raised and venulose or sometimes rugose, surrounding lower area at length rather coarsely rugose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds dark olive, black or brownish, 2.8 × 2.5 × 1.3–1.8 mm, oblong, slightly beaked near the eccentric small hilum.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Protein Content

33.10% Entire seed/nut. Moisture content not stated (Jones & Earle, 1966)

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect subshrubby annual or perennial herb, 0.3–2.5 m. tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems mostly slender, ± 5 mm. wide at the base but sometimes thick and spongy up to 2.5 cm. wide, pubescent with mostly rather sparse tubercular-based sometimes glandular hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves sometimes sensitive, 16–50(–70)-foliolate; leaflets linear-oblong, 0.3–1.3 cm. long, 1–3 mm. wide, rounded and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, entire or very finely serrulate, glabrous; venation obscure; petiole and rhachis together 1.2–10 cm. long, with tubercular-based hairs; petiolules 0.3 mm. long; stipules elliptic-lanceolate, straight, spurred, 0.3–1.5 cm. long, 1–3.5 mm. wide, deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences leaf-opposed or axillary, 1–6-flowered; rhachis 1.5–6 cm. long; peduncle 0.8–2.1 cm. long; pedicels 1–2 and finally up to 8 mm. long; bracts mostly ovate, 3.5–6 mm. long, 1.5–2.5 mm. wide, often lacerate or toothed, deciduous; bracteoles ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 2.5–4.5 mm. long, 1–2 mm. wide, acuminate, ciliolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx glabrous, 2-lipped, the lips oblong, 4–6 mm. long, 2–3 mm. wide, one 2-fid, the other 3-fid.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard yellow or whitish, mostly lined and suffused with red outside or purplish, elliptic, 0.7–1 cm. long, 4–7 mm. wide; wings and keel greenish-white or pale yellow, the petals of the latter not laciniate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods linear, straight or slightly curved, 2.4–4.8 cm. long excluding the 6–9 mm. stipe, 5–13-jointed, one suture ± straight, the other slightly constricted between the articles; articles oblong, 3–5 mm. long and wide, compressed, with sparse short tubercular-based hairs, central part raised and venulose or sometimes rugose, surrounding lower area at length rather coarsely rugose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds dark olive, black or brownish, oblong, slightly beaked near the eccentric small hilum, longest dimension 2.8 mm., shorter dimension 2.5 mm., 1.3–1.8 mm. thick.

Figures

Fig. 54/4, p. 366.

Habitat

Mostly in wet places, floodplain grassland, flats, pans, swamp margins, pools in Acacia, etc. wooded grassland, desert grassland, bushland or woodland; sometimes on black saline clay soils and also in pools on and crevices in granite and other rocky outcrops; 15–1530 m.

Distribution

widespread in tropical Africa from Senegal, Ethiopia and N. Somali Republic to South Africa (Transvaal) and South West AfricaS. Tomé, Madagascar, tropical and subtropical Asia, Australia and N. America K1 K4 K5 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Lake Victoria regional transition zone; grasslands, Lake Victoria regional mosaic; freshwater swamp and aquatic vegetation, Sudanian freshwater swamp and aquatic vegetation, Somalia-Masai freshwater swamp and aquatic vegetation, Zambezian grasslan

Morphology General Habit

Annual/Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub

Vernacular

Didhen, Dyia-siyambala, Hamoka, Heen-diya-siyambala, Laugauni, Phulan, Sensitive Vetch, Sola

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

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/168855/120202097

Conservation

LC - least concern

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

Morphology General Habit

Subshrubby herb, 0.3–2.5 m tall, submerged part of stem becoming thick and spongy

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 16–50(–70), linear-oblong, 3–13 x 1–3 mm, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences 1–6-flowered

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 4–6 mm long, glabrous, upper lip 2-fid, lower 3-fid

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard elliptic, 7–10 mm long; keel-petals not laciniate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 24–48 x 4 mm with a stipe 6–9 mm long, 5–13-jointed, slightly constricted between the oblong articles along one margin, with sparse short tubercle-based hairs.

Distribution

N1; C1; S1–3 widespread in tropical Africa and in Asia, Australia and N America.

Ecology

Altitude up to 350 m.

Vernacular

Lebi-yaro (Somali)