Fabaceae
Aeschynomene

Aeschynomene mimosifolia Vatke

First published in Oesterr. Bot. Z. 29: 224 (1879)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya to S. Tropical Africa. It 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
Subshrub with slender somewhat woody erect or prostrate stems, 0.3–2.7 m. tall, from a woody rootstock.
Morphology Stem
Stems pubescent with glandular tubercular-based hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves often fasciculate, 8–34-foliolate; leaflets linear to oblong, sometimes subfalcate, 1–7 mm. long, 0.5–1.5 (rarely –2 in Mozambique) mm. wide, acute to rounded and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, glabrescent or glabrous but often conspicuously glandular ciliate, somewhat thick; main nerve ± marginal; petiole and rhachis together mostly very short, 0.5–3 cm. long, bristly pubescent; petiolules 0.2 mm. long; stipules linear- or ovate-lanceolate, 3–6 mm. long, 0.5–1 mm. wide, acuminate, not appendaged, scarious, nervose, ± persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, often aggregated towards the apices of shoots to form leafy panicles; rhachis 1–10 cm. long; peduncle 0.5–1.5 cm. long; pedicels 2–5 mm. long; bracts ovate, 2.5–3 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, 2–3-fid, ciliolate, soon falling; bracteoles ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 2–3 mm. long, 0.5–1 mm. wide, ciliolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx puberulous, 2-lipped, the lips oblong, 3.5–6 mm. long, 3–4 mm. wide, one 2-lobed, the other 3-lobed and often ciliolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard orange-yellow with purple-red veins, violin-shaped, 7–8 mm. long, 4–5 mm. wide, emarginate; wings pale yellow, longer than the standard; keel-petals greenish with reddish-purple nerves, not laciniate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods of 1–2 articles joined by a very narrow neck, each ± semicircular, 4.5–9 mm. long, 4–6.5 mm. wide, glabrous or the margins puberulous, reticulate at first, later very minutely roughened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds chestnut, elliptic-reniform, compressed, slightly obtusely beaked beyond the small eccentric round hilum, longest dimension 5 mm., shorter dimension 3.5 mm., 1.5 mm. thick.
Figures
Fig. 56, p. 393.
Habitat
Brachystegia, Julbernardia and other deciduous woodland, drainage ditches in grassland; sometimes on stony red soils; 1050–1920(–2430) m.
Distribution
K4 T1 T2 T4 T5 T7
[FTEA]

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
Subshrub with slender somewhat woody erect or prostrate stems, 0.3–2.7 m tall, from a woody rootstock.
Morphology Stem
Stems pubescent with glandular tubercular-based hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves often fasciculate, 8–34-foliolate; leaflets 1–7 × 0.5–1.5 mm (rarely 2 mm in Mozambique), linear to oblong, sometimes subfalcate, acute to rounded and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, glabrescent or glabrous but often conspicuously glandular-ciliate, somewhat thick; main nerve ± marginal; petiole and rhachis together mostly very short, 0.5–3 cm long, bristly-pubescent; petiolules 0.2 mm long; stipules 3–6 × 0.5–1 mm, linear- or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, not appendaged, scarious, nervose, ± persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, often aggregated towards the apices of shoots to form leafy panicles; peduncle 5–15 mm long; rhachis 1–10 cm long; pedicels 2–5 mm long; bracts 2–3-fid, 2.5–3 × 2 mm, ovate, ciliolate, soon falling; bracteoles 2–3 × 0.5–1 mm, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, ciliolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx puberulous, 2-lipped; lips 3.5–6 × 3–4 mm, oblong, one 2-lobed, the other 3-lobed and often ciliolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard orange-yellow with purple-red veins, 7–8 × 4–5 mm, violin-shaped, emarginate; wings pale yellow, longer than the standard; keel petals greenish with reddish-purple nerves, not laciniate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit of 1–2 articles joined by a very narrow neck, each article ± semicircular, 4.5–9 × 4–6.5 mm, glabrous or the margins puberulous, reticulate at first, later very minutely roughened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds chestnut-brown, 5 × 3.5 × 1.5 mm, elliptic-reniform, compressed, slightly obtusely beaked beyond the small eccentric round hilum.
[FZ]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Somalia-Masai woodland, Zambezian woodland
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub
[ILDIS]

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