Aeschynomene schliebenii Harms

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect irregularly branched shrub 1–4.5 m. tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems at first pubescent, glabrescent or setulose-hairy, but bark soon breaking down to form a distinctive reddish-brown powdery coating.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves mostly fasciculate, 20–40-foliolate; leaflets lanceolate or linear-oblong, 3–4 mm. long, 0.5–1 mm. wide, acute or obtuse and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, rather thick, imbricated, glabrous or pubescent but mostly glandular-ciliate; main nerve eccentric but not marginal, other venation obscure or prominent; petiole and rhachis together 0.5–2 cm. long; petiolules minute; stipules lanceolate, 4.5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, acute, shortly appendaged, striate, soon falling or persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, short, often occurring over considerable lengths of shoots and giving a characteristic appearance to the plant; rhachis 1–5 cm. long; peduncle 0–5 mm. long; pedicels 3–5 mm. long; bracts ovate-lanceolate or ovate, 4–4.5 mm. long, 1.2–2 mm. wide, bifid, acute, striate, pubescent, soon falling; bracteoles ovate to lanceolate, 3–5 mm. long, 1.2–1.5 mm. wide, pubescent, soon falling.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pubescent or glabrescent, 2-lipped; lips oblong, 6.5–9(–10) mm. long, 3.5–4 mm. wide, one slightly emarginate, the other slightly trifid.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard yellow with purple lines outside or all yellow, obovate-oblong, 0.9–1.2 cm. long, 5–6 mm. wide; wings yellow; keel greenish-yellow, not laciniate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod of 1 or 2 articles joined by a narrow neck; articles semicircular, the upper edge almost straight, lower edge strongly curved, margined, 6.5–9.5 mm. long, 5–6 mm. wide, compressed, entirely glabrous or pubescent or puberulous, at least on the margins, somewhat venose, sometimes minutely verruculose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds reddish-brown, reniform, compressed, longest dimension 4 mm., shorter dimension 3 mm., 1.5 mm. thick; hilum small, round, eccentric.

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect irregularly branched shrub or small tree 1–4.5(5) m tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems at first pubescent, glabrescent or setulose-hairy, but bark soon breaking down to form a distinctive reddish-brown powdery coating.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves mostly fasciculate, 20–40-foliolate; leaflets 3–4 × 0.5–1 mm, lanceolate or linear-oblong, acute or obtuse and mucronulate at the apex, obliquely rounded at the base, rather thick, imbricated, glabrous or pubescent but mostly glandular-ciliate; main nerve eccentric but not marginal, other venation obscure or prominent; petiole and rhachis together 5–20 mm long; petiolules minute; stipules 4.5 × 1 mm, lanceolate, acute, shortly appendaged, striate, soon falling or persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, short, often occurring over considerable lengths of shoots and giving a characteristic appearance to the plant; peduncle 0–5 mm long; rhachis 1–5 cm long; pedicels 3–5 mm long; bracts 2-fid, 4–4.5 × 1.2–2 mm, ovate-lanceolate or ovate, acute, striate, pubescent, soon falling; bracteoles 3–5 × 1.2–1.5 mm, ovate to lanceolate, pubescent, soon falling.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pubescent or glabrescent, 2-lipped; lips 6.5–9(10) × 3.5–4 mm, oblong, one slightly emarginate, the other slightly 3-fid.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard yellow with purple lines outside or all yellow, 9–12 × 5–6 mm, obovate-oblong; wings yellow; keel greenish-yellow, not laciniate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit of 1 or 2 articles joined by a narrow neck; articles 6.5–9.5 × 5–6 mm, semicircular, the upper edge almost straight, lower edge strongly curved, margined, compressed, entirely glabrous or pubescent or puberulous, at least on the margins, somewhat venose, sometimes minutely verrucose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds reddish-brown, 4 × 3 × 1.5 mm, reniform, compressed; hilum small, round, eccentric.