Aeschynomene megalophylla Harms

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

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or small tree 1.2–6 m tall; bark brown, smooth with conspicuous white lenticels.

Morphology Stem

Stems densely covered with short glandular tubercular-based hairs or glabrous; older stems appearing jointed at the nodes due to the scars formed by the deciduous stipules.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 12–18(20)-foliolate; leaflets 1–3.5 × 0.7–2.2 cm, oblong-elliptic, shortly emarginate at the apex, obscurely obliquely subcordate at the base, entire, glabrous, often glaucous; venation obscurely reticulate beneath; petiole and rhachis together 5–12 cm long, with similar hairs to the stem or glabrescent or glabrous; petiolules distinct, c. 1.5 mm long; stipules conspicuous forming a sheath over the young leaves but almost immediately deciduous, 17–28 × 5–8 mm, narrowly lanceolate, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes axillary from upper leaves, overtopping the terminal bud and appearing as a large branched terminal inflorescence, 7–20 cm long, densely pubescent with hairs similar to those on the stems or glabrescent; peduncles 3–4 cm long; pedicels 5–15 mm long, both similarly pubescent; bracts 14 × 7 mm, oblong-elliptic, acuminate, cucullate and clasping, glabrous, very soon deciduous; bracteoles 7–10 × 5 mm, elliptic, cucullate and clasping, glabrous, soon deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx red, glabrous, 2-lipped; lips 13–18 × 5–6 mm, oblong, both entire or one with slight trace of 3-lobing.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard bright yellow or orange, flushed crimson or veined brown outside, 1.7–2.2 × 1.4–1.8 cm, almost round or broadly elliptic, rounded or emarginate; wings and keel yellow, the former free.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit of (4)5–8 articles joined by narrow necks, each article semicircular or elliptic, 6–7 × 5–6 mm, compressed, glabrous or sometimes with very scattered ciliae when young, rarely persistently bristly ciliate, smooth.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds yellow-brown, 4–5 × 3 × 2–2.2 mm, oblong-ellipsoid; hilum small, eccentric.