Brachystegia longifolia Benth.

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

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Tree

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

Morphology General Habit

Tree (2–)4–15(–25) m. high, often stunted by exposure, very variable in all parts especially habit and indumentum, displaying every intermediate expression and most combinations of the characters described for B. boehmii and B. glaberrima; most forms fall within the range shown in fig. 41.

Morphology Stem

Bole often with conspicuous rounded bosses (even in forms otherwise close to B. boehmii); bark deeply furrowed to coarsely reticulate, grey or brownish; crown rounded to obconical or flat; main branching suberect to spreading; branchlets spreading in bunched systems with foliage usually rather pendulous in loose tufts (unless leaflets few).

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules filiform to falcate, 1–3 cm. long, caducous to subpersistent, usually with reniform auricles.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves glabrous to tomentose, with (5–)6–12(–17) pairs of leaflets, the pairs very variable in spacing, the middle pairs usually the largest; rhachis usually 10–15 times as long as the petiole, channelled, usually with obvious but variable stipels or local expansions; leaflets oblong to narrowly triangular, (3–)4–6(–8) × (0.5–)1–2(–3) cm., very acute to broadly rounded or emarginate at apex, obliquely rounded or truncate to cordate at base; main nerves and larger veins usually more conspicuous than the open to rather close final reticulation.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicles terminal (rarely also axillary), glabrous or fulvous-to dark brown-tomentose; peduncle usually slender and terete, rarely sulcate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers greenish with white or cream stamen-filaments; bracteoles very variable in thickness and shape.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal

Tepals (4–)5(–9); outer 4–6 imbricate, densely long-ciliate, often with 1 or more pubescent outside; inner 0 or 1–4, variable.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod up to 15 × 5 cm., smooth or partly to completely scurfy, often warted when smooth or nearly so.

Figures

Figs 35/11, p. 160, & 41, p. 189.

Habitat

Deciduous woodland; 275–2000 m., mainly above 1000 m. Widely dominant or co-dominant in the southern half of Tanganyika, especially the highlands; typically on lower hill-slopes and rolling plateau country bordering seasonally wet open plains, “mbugas” or “dambos”; also on and below granite hills; occurs on acid, sandy to deep red soils, alone or with other Brachystegia species.

Distribution

T4 T6 T7 T8

Leguminosae, R.K. Brummitt, A.C. Chikuni, J.M. Lock and R.M. Polhill. Flora Zambesiaca 3:2. 2007

Morphology General Habit

Tree 4–30 m tall; bark deeply or shallowly fissured longitudinally, often coarsely reticulate, flaking in thick irregular scales, dark grey.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 7–25 cm long; petiole (0.8)1–5 cm long; rachis deeply canaliculate with raised and winged margins; leaflets in 6–18 pairs, widely spaced or overlapping; middle leaflet or the one next to the proximal the largest; proximal leaflet pair 1–5 × 1–2 cm, the middle 2.5–8 × 1–3 cm, each 2–3 times longer than broad, narrowly triangular, ovate to oblong, sometimes falcate, acute or rounded at the apex, obliquely rounded, cordate or truncate at the base, glabrous or pubescent; midvein central or subcentral, with 3–5 secondary veins diverging from the proximal leaflet base.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules caducous, 15–35 × 1–5 mm, shortly connate at the base, filiform, linear, lanceolate-falcate to subfoliaceous; auricles 1–17 × 0.5–9 mm, reniform to subcircular, caducous independently of the stipules.

Morphology General Buds

Dormant axillary buds much flattened.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences in terminal and/or axillary panicles to 10 cm long, glabrous or pubescent with dark or rusty hairs; bracts 2.5–4 × 1.5–3 mm, ovate to oblong, acute at the apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 4–6 × 3–4 mm; pedicels up to 2.5 mm long; bracteoles 6–8 × 3–4 mm, obovate or orbicular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 5, 2–4 × 0.5–5 mm, oblong, obovate, lanceolate or imbricate, the proximal and lateral sepals often fused.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 0–4, up to 2.5–3 × 0.5 mm, linear to spathulate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 10, united to 1 mm at the base, filaments 10–20 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 4–6 × 1.5–2 mm, up to 8-ovulate; stipe to 2 mm long, densely pubescent; style up to 12 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 7–20 × 2.5–5 cm, oblong to obovate, rounded to obtuse at the apex with a 4–8 mm long apical beak, light to dark brown, with spreading or suberect ventral flanges up to 7 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 2–6, 12–15 × 10–15 mm, oblong to ovoid.