Aeschynomene semilunaris Hutch.

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: low confidence

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

Morphology General Habit

Shrub 1.5–4.5 m tall; bark rough, greyish-brown, some of the stems lenticellate, appearing jointed at the nodes due to the scars formed by the deciduous stipules; young shoots densely covered with glandular tubercular-based hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 10–28-foliolate; leaflets 2.5–17 × (2)3.5–7 mm, oblong-elliptic to narrowly oblong, rounded to slightly emarginate and very shortly mucronulate at the apex, obliquely rounded to asymmetrically emarginate at the base, entire, with similar hairs to the young stems or glabrescent; venation visible beneath; petiole and rhachis 2–8.5 cm long, glabrescent or glandular-pubescent; petiolules 0.5 mm long; stipules conspicuous, 5–20(26) × 2.5–8 mm, oblong to lanceolate, deciduous or a few sometimes ± persistent, glabrous or pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes axillary, sometimes forming a “terminal” corymb, 3–7 cm long, hairy like the stems; peduncles 1.3–2 cm long; pedicels 5–6 mm long, both similarly pubescent; bracts sheathing, 3-fid or 2-fid at the apex, 4–9 × 3–5 mm, elliptic, obscurely ciliolate, very soon deciduous; bracteoles 4.5–6 × 2–2.5 mm, ovate-lanceolate, glabrous or ciliolate, deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx reddish, glabrous, 2-lipped; lips 8–9 × 4–5 mm, oblong-lanceolate or oblong-elliptic, one 2-fid, the other 3-fid.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard pale yellow, sometimes veined lilac, or crimson, 10–11 × 7–8 mm, rounded oblong, broadly rounded; wings and keel yellow, the former free, the latter much exceeding the standard.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit of 1–2 articles, if 2 then joined by a narrow neck, each semicircular, 10–20 × 6–10 mm, compressed, glabrous or with one or two obscure hairs on the rounded margin.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds chestnut-coloured, 5 × 3.5–4 × 1.7 mm, oblong-reniform, rather sharply beaked to the outside of the small eccentric hilum.