Aeschynomene rubrofarinacea (Taub.) F.White

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

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

Morphology General Habit

Lax erect aromatic shrub 0.6–4.5 m. tall.

Morphology Branches

Branchlets covered with thick brownish-red powdery bark; young stems densely covered with sticky tubercular-based hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves (6–)8–16-foliolate; leaflets obovate to oblong or elliptic, 0.5–l.7 cm. long, 2.5–8 mm. wide, emarginate to acute at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, glabrous on both surfaces or pubescent beneath with tubercular-based hairs, denticulate-ciliate or ciliate or in some areas glabrous on the margins, several-nerved from the base, the main nerve basally eccentric; petiole and rhachis together (1–)2–4 cm. long; petiolules 0.5 mm. long; stipules ovate-lanceolate or ovate, 4.5–9 mm. long, 2–4 mm. wide, acute, rounded or slightly auriculate or appendaged at the base, veined.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, sometimes together with several leaves on short shoots or even fasciculate; rhachis 3–5 cm. long; pedicels 2–3 mm. long; bracts purple or green, crowded, overlapping but not hiding the flowers, large, 0.8–1.7 cm. long, 1–3.5 cm. wide, deeply to shallowly bilobed, each lobe obovate, rhomboid or rounded, scarious, nervose, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, mostly finely denticulate-ciliate or in some areas glabrous on the margins; bracteoles elliptic-lanceolate, 6–9 mm. long, 1–3 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2-lipped, yellow, the lips oblong-elliptic, thin, 1–1.1 cm. long, 4.5 mm. wide, one 2-toothed, the other shortly 3-lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard yellow or orange, obovate-oblong or oblong, 1–1.4 cm. long, 5–7.5 mm. wide, very slightly narrowed in the middle, rounded at the apex; wings yellow or green; keel-petals white, green or yellow, not laciniate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods of 1–2 articles, each semicircular, 6–7 mm. long, 5–7 mm. wide, smooth or slightly rugulose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds dark reddish-brown, elliptic-reniform, longest dimension 3.5 mm., shorter dimension 2.8 mm., 1 mm. thick; hilum small, elliptic, slightly eccentric, with a trace of a rim-aril present.

Habitat

Grassland, grassland with scattered Protea, Brachystegia, Erythrina, etc., Brachystegia woodland, also in abandoned cultivations; 1200–2000 m.

Distribution

T1 T4 T7 T8

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

Morphology General Habit

Lax erect aromatic shrub up to 0.6–4.5 m tall.

Morphology Branches

Branchlets covered with thick brownish-red powdery bark; young stems densely covered with sticky tubercular-based hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves (6)8–16-foliolate; leaflets 5–17 × 2.5–8 mm, obovate to oblong or elliptic, emarginate to acute at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, glabrous on both surfaces or pubescent beneath with tubercular-based hairs, denticulate-ciliate or ciliate or in some areas glabrous on the margins, several-nerved from the base, the main nerve basally eccentric; petiole and rhachis together (1)2–4 cm long; petiolules 0.5 mm long; stipules 4.5–9 × 2–4 mm, ovate-lanceolate or ovate, acute, rounded or slightly auriculate or appendaged at the base, veined.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, sometimes together with several leaves on short shoots or even fasciculate; rhachis 3–5 cm long; pedicels 2–3 mm long; bracts purple or green, crowded, overlapping but not hiding the flowers, large, 8–17 × 10–35 mm, deeply to shallowly bilobed, each lobe obovate, rhombic or rounded, scarious, nervose, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, mostly finely denticulate-ciliate or in some areas glabrous on the margins; bracteoles 6–9 × 1–3 mm, elliptic-lanceolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2-lipped, yellow, lips thin, 10–11 × 4.5 mm, oblong-elliptic, one 2-toothed the other shortly 3-lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard yellow or orange, 10–14 × 5–7.5 mm, very slightly narrowed in the middle, obovate-oblong or oblong, rounded at the apex; wings yellow or green; keel petals white, green or yellow, not laciniate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit of 1–2 articles, each article semicircular, 6–7 × 5–7 mm, smooth or slightly rugulose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds dark reddish-brown, 3.5 × 2.8 × 1 mm, elliptic-reniform; hilum small, elliptic, slightly eccentric, with a trace of a rim-aril present.