Fabaceae
Aeschynomene

Aeschynomene nyassana Taub.

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 23: 190 (1896)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to S. Africa. 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
Subshrub or shrub, 0.15–3 m. tall, mostly erect with several stems from a woody rootstock, often coming up after burns and then frequently flowering when leafless or when the leaves are only slightly developed.
Morphology Stem
Stems glabrous to densely viscid pubescent or scabrid.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 14–80-foliolate; leaflets oblong or obovate-oblong, (0.3–)0.6–2.4 cm. long, (l.5–)2–8 mm. wide, obtuse to emarginate and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, glabrous; main nerve mostly central; petiole and rhachis together 3–25 cm. long, often pubescent; petiolules 0.5–1 mm. long; stipules ovate-to linear-lanceolate, 0.7–2.4 cm. long, 2–4 mm. wide, acuminate, somewhat auriculate but not appendaged.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal, mostly well-branched and many-flowered with a rhachis 10–35 cm. long, also some shorter less branched inflorescences in the axils of the upper leaves; peduncle 2.5–5 cm. long, glabrous to densely pubescent; pedicels 0.4–1.1 cm. long; bracts elliptic to ovate, 3–10 mm. long, 2–6 mm. wide, entire or denticulate, soon falling; bracteoles ovate, 3.5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, obtuse or acute at the apex, glabrous but often ciliolate, soon falling.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx glabrous, 2-lipped, the lips ovate, 4.5–8 mm. long, 3–7 mm. wide, one emarginate, the other 3-lobed at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard yellow with purple veins, ovate-elliptic, 0.6–1.3 cm. long, 2–5 mm. wide, emarginate; wings pale yellow with purple veins, 0.8–1.7 cm. long, exceeding the keel; keel-petals pale yellow with purple veins, not laciniate; filament-sheath mostly shorter than the fruit-stipe, which is mostly 4–5(–10) mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods of 1–2 articles joined by a neck 2–4 mm. wide; articles obovate, elliptic or semicircular, 1.2–2.7 cm. long, 0.9–1.3 cm. wide, flat and papery, glabrous save for the slightly pubescent margins, reticulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds reddish-brown, elliptic-reniform, beaked beyond the small round eccentric hilum, longest dimension 5 mm., shorter dimension 4 mm., 2 mm. thick.
Figures
Fig. 54/5, p. 366.
Habitat
Grassland with scattered Protea, etc., particularly at edge of Brachystegia, Uapaca woodland, usually in places subjected to burning; 450–2100 m.
Distribution
T4 T6 T7 T8
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Subshrub or shrub mostly erect with several stems 0.15–3 m tall, from a woody rootstock, often coming up after burns and then frequently flowering when leafless or when the leaves are only slightly developed; secondary roots long and tuberous.
Morphology Stem
Stems glabrous to densely viscid-pubescent or scabrid.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 14–80-foliolate; leaflets (3)6–24 × (1.5)2–8 mm, oblong or obovate-oblong, obtuse to emarginate and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, glabrous; main nerve mostly central; petiole and rhachis together 3–25 cm long, often pubescent; petiolules 0.5–1 mm long; stipules 7–24 × 2–4 mm, ovate- to linear-lanceolate, acuminate, somewhat auriculate but not appendaged.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal, mostly well-branched and many-flowered with a rhachis 10–35 cm long, also some shorter less branched inflorescences in the axils of the upper leaves; peduncle 2.5–5 cm long, glabrous to densely pubescent; pedicels 4–11 mm long; bracts 3–10 × 2–6 mm, elliptic to ovate, entire or denticulate, soon falling; bracteoles 3.5 × 2 mm, ovate, obtuse or acute at the apex, glabrous but often ciliolate, soon falling.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx glabrous, 2-lipped; lips 4.5–8 × 3–7 mm, ovate, one emarginate, the other 3-lobed at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard yellow with purple veins, 6–13 × 2–5 mm, ovate-elliptic, emarginate; wings pale yellow with purple veins, 8–17 mm long; exceeding the keel; keel petals pale yellow with purple veins, not laciniate; filament sheath mostly shorter than the fruit stipe, which is mostly 4–5(10) mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit of 1–2 articles joined by a neck 2–4 mm wide; articles 12–27 × 9–13 mm, obovate, elliptic or semicircular, flat and papery, glabrous save for the slightly pubescent margins, reticulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds reddish-brown, 5 × 4 × 2 mm, elliptic-reniform, beaked beyond the small round eccentric hilum.
[FZ]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian woodland, Zambezian grassland
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]

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