Brachystegia puberula Hutch. & Burtt Davy

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/19892122/20030101

Conservation

LC - least concern

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

Morphology General Habit

Tree up to 12 m tall; bark reticulately fissured.

Morphology Branches

Young branchlets densely puberulous with antrorse hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 10–21 cm long; petioles (6)8–20 mm long including a 2–4 mm long pulvinus; rachis deeply canaliculate with raised winged margins, pubescent; leaflets in 8–21 pairs, overlapping or contiguous, 2–3 times longer than broad, middle leaflets or those next to the proximal largest, proximal leaflet pairs 1–4 × 0.5–1.5 cm, the middle ones 2.5–6.5 × (0.5)0.8–2.5 cm, the distal ones 2–5.5 × 0.8–1.6 cm, oblong, lanceolate or elliptic, rounded or obliquely obtuse at the apex (so that the distal side of the lamina appears to be longer than the proximal side), obliquely round or cordate at the base, puberulous with antrorse hairs; midvein central or subcentral, with 3–4(5) secondary veins from the proximal leaflet base.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules caducous, 10–22 × 1.5–3 mm, free, linear, lanceolate, sometimes falcate, puberulous; auricles absent.

Morphology General Buds

Dormant axillary buds ovoid or globose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences in terminal and/or axillary panicles up to 7 cm long; pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 4–5 × 3–4 mm; pedicels up to 2–3 mm long; bracteoles 4–6 × 3–4 mm, elliptic or orbicular, densely puberulous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 5, 2–3 × 1–1.5 mm, elliptic to orbicular, imbricate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals absent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 10, united to 1–2 mm at the base; filaments 7–10 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 2–3 × 1–1.5 mm; stipe to 1–2 mm long; style to 7–8 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 8–14 × 3–4 cm, oblong to obovate, with spreading ventral flanges.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 15–20 × 12–15 mm, oblong to ovoid.

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

Morphology General Habit

Tree 6(–?12) m. high; young parts evenly clothed with minute appressed hairs; bark blackish; crown spreading (see note below).

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules free, linear to falcate, 1–2 cm. long, usually caducous; auricle 0.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with (8–)9–18(–21) contiguous or slightly spaced pairs of leaflets, the middle pairs usually the largest; petiole 7–10(–12) mm. long; rhachis 7–14(–16) cm. long, channelled, each interval with narrow revolute wings throughout, sometimes locally expanded; leaflets narrowly oblong or elliptic to narrowly ovate, rarely falcate, (1–)2–4(–4.5) × (0.4–)0.8–1.5(–2) cm., rounded to emarginate at apex, subobliquely rounded-cuneate at base; midrib subcentral, slender, obscure above; basal fanwise nerves obscure, (2–)3–4(–5); lateral nerves and veins more obscure, almost concolorous with both very similar surfaces.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicles terminal or terminal and axillary, 3–7 × 3–5 cm., slender-branched, rusty-sericeous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers small, crowded; bracteoles 5–6(–7) × 3.5–5 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal

Tepals 5(–6), free, outer imbricate, up to 2 × 1.5 mm., shortly ciliate to glabrous, inner 0 or 1, narrow.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens ± 10, free, 7–9 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary 2–3 × 1mm., ± rufous-setose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod thinly woody, pale reddish-brown, ± pruinose; sutural wings thin, venose, each 8–10 mm. broad.

Figures

Fig. 35/14, p. 160.

Habitat

Deciduous woodland, evidently rare, local and (in Zambia) gregarious; known in the Flora area from the cited gathering only, at 990 m. Elsewhere up to 2000 m. altitude, on poor Kalahari sand soils and schistose or siliceous rocky ridges.

Distribution

T4

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian woodland

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Tree