Fabaceae
Alysicarpus

Alysicarpus vaginalis (L.) DC.

First published in Prodr. 2: 353 (1825)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Africa, Tropical & Subtropical Asia to N. Australia. It is a perennial or subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is has environmental uses, as animal food and a medicine and for food.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect or spreading procumbent perennial herb, woody at the base, 10–60 cm. tall.
Morphology Stem
Stems densely to sparsely pubescent or puberulous, at length ± glabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves uniibliolate; leaflet ovate, oblong, oblong-elliptic or lanceolate, 0.5–6.5 cm. long, 0.3–2.6 cm. wide, acute to emarginate and mucronulate at the apex, subcordate at the base, finely puberulous and with longer hairs, or almost glabrous above, ciliate; reticulation prominent on both surfaces; petiole 0.4–1.5 cm. long; petiolule 1–2 mm. long; stipules lanceolate, 0.7–1.7(–2.4) cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal and leaf-opposed, 2–13 cm. long, mostly dense, the internodes mostly shorter than the flowers, glabrous or usually densely pubescent; rhachis 2–13 cm. long; peduncle 0–5 cm. long; pedicels 0.5–2 mm. long; primary bracts ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 4–8 mm. long, 1.5–2.5 mm. wide, acuminate, ± glabrous, deciduous; secondary bracts similar, 2.5–3.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx puberulous or pubescent; tube 1.5–2.5 mm. long; teeth narrowly triangular, 3–4 mm. long, 0.5–1 mm. wide, acuminate, not imbricate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard orange, pinkish-buff or purple, often paler than other petals, 4–6 mm. long, 3–4 mm. wide; wings mauve; keel magenta, mauve or green with purple tip.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods 1.2–2.5 cm. long, well exserted from the calyx, not constricted between the articles; articles 4–7, subcylindrical, 2.5–3 mm. long, 1.5–3 mm. wide, with raised reticulate ridges, puberulous with uncinulate hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds yellowish, speckled brown or entirely yellow-brown, ellipsoidal, slightly compressed, longest dimension 1.7 mm., shorter dimension 1.5 mm., 1 mm. thick.
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Sudanian anthropic landscapes, Zambezian anthropic landscapes., Somalia-Masai anthropic landscapes, Somalia-Masai wooded grasslands., Somalia-Masai grasslands, Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket, Sudanian wooded grassland, Sudanian grasslands, Zam
Morphology General Habit
Annual/Perennial, Not climbing, Herb
Vernacular
Alyce Clover, Alyceclover, Oneleaf Clover, Pannata
[ILDIS]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
orejita de ratón
[UNAL]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean, Caribbean, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–1000 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Córdoba, Magdalena, Nariño, Santander, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Papilionaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit
Herb about 6 in. high, ascending
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Small reddish flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Cylindrical wrinkled fruits.
[FWTA]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
An herb with prostrate or trailing stems growing from a woody taproot, nearly glabrous throughout; leaves with leaflet stalked and variously lanceolate, oblong, obovate or roundish, 0.4–4 cm long, the apex rounded but with a minute mucro, the base subcordate; stipules lanceolate, ca. 7 mm long, whitish
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes mostly 1–3 cm long; calyx 4–5 mm long; corolla deep salmon-red or purple, about as long as the calyx
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods up to 2 cm long, 2–8-jointed, minutely puberulous.
Distribution
Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac. Native of tropical Asia and Africa; widely naturalised in the West Indies.
Ecology
The Cayman plants occurring in second-growth thickets, damp pastures, and in soil-pockets of exposed limestone pavements.
[Cayman]

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Protein Content

35.60% Entire seed/nut. Moisture content not stated (Jones & Earle, 1966)

[SID]

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]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Naturalizada en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 1000 m.; Andes, Llanura del Caribe, Pacífico, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect or spreading procumbent perennial herb, woody at the base, 10–60 cm tall.
Morphology Stem
Stems densely to sparsely pubescent or puberulous, at length ± glabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 1-foliolate; leaflet 0.5–6.5 × 0.3–2.6 cm, ovate, oblong, oblong-elliptic or lanceolate, acute to emarginate and mucronulate at the apex, subcordate at the base, finely puberulous and with longer hairs, or almost glabrous on upper surface, ciliate; reticulation prominent on both surfaces; petiole 4–15 mm long; petiolule 1–2 mm long; stipules 7–17(24) mm long, lanceolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal and leaf-opposed, 2–13 cm long, mostly dense, the internodes mostly shorter than the flowers, glabrous or usually densely pubescent; peduncle 0–5 cm long; rhachis 2–13 cm long; pedicels 0.5–2 mm long; primary bracts 4–8 × 1.5–2.5 mm, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, acuminate, ± glabrous, deciduous; secondary bracts similar, 2.5–3.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx puberulous or pubescent; tube 1.5–2.5 mm long; teeth 3–4 × 0.5–1 mm, narrowly triangular, acuminate, not imbricate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard orange, pinkish-buff or purple, often paler than other petals, 4–6 × 3–4 mm; wings mauve; keel magenta, mauve or green with purple tip.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 1.2–2.5 cm long, well exserted from the calyx, not constricted between the articles; articles 4–7, 2.5–3 × 1.5–3 mm, subcylindrical, with raised reticulate ridges, puberulous with uncinulate hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds yellowish, speckled brown or entirely yellow-brown, slightly compressed, 1.7 × 1.5 × 1 mm, ellipsoidal.
[FZ]

Uses

Use
Chemical products, Environmental, Forage, Medicine, Miscellaneous, Weed
[ILDIS]

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Seed Information Database

    • Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. (2019) Seed Information Database (SID). Version 7.1. Available from: http://data.kew.org/sid/ (September 2019)
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/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