Brachystegia tamarindoides Welw. ex Benth.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/168986828/168986831

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 4–35 m tall; bark smooth, thinly flaking, exposing yellow patches beneath, pale silvery grey to dark grey.

Morphology Branches

Young branchlets glabrous or pubescent with erect hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 6–15 cm long; petioles 2–15 mm long including a 2–7 mm long pulvinus; rachis deeply canaliculate above with raised and winged margins, glabrous or pubescent; leaflets in 6–72 pairs, contiguous, overlapping or widely spaced, the middle pairs or those next to the proximal or distal ones the largest, each 0.5–6 × 0.15–2 cm, linear, triangular, ovate, oblong, lanceolate or elliptic, acute, rounded, obtuse, retuse emarginate or apiculate at the apex, obliquely rounded, cordate or truncate at the base, glabrous or pubescent; midvein central or subcentral, 3–4 secondary veins diverging from the proximal leaflet base.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules usually caducous, 6–30 × 0.5–3.5 mm, shortly connate at the base, erect, filiform, linear, lanceolate or spathulate, sometimes subfoliaceous; auricles 2–6 × 1–3.5 mm, reniform, digitate, sometimes reduced to a tooth, caducous independently of the stipules.

Morphology General Buds

Dormant axillary buds ovoid or globose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences in terminal and/or axillary panicles up to 8 cm long; bracts 1.5–3 × 1–2 mm, ovate, pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 3–6 × 2–4 mm; pedicels 1.5–3 mm long; bracteoles 4–8 × 3–5 mm, obovate or orbicular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 4–5, the proximal sometimes fused with one or both of the laterals, 2–2.5 × 0.5–2 mm, ovate, oblong, orbicular or oblong-lanceolate, imbricate or valvate, margins entire to densely ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 0–1, 1.5 × 0.3 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 10, united to 0.5–1 mm at the base; filaments 8–10 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 3–4 × 1–2 mm, up to 9-ovulate, densely pubescent; stipe up to 3 mm long; style to 6–10 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 5–10 × 1.5–3 cm, oblong to obovate, dark brown, with suberect or revolute spreading ventral flanges.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds up to 7, 15–20 × 10–15 mm, oblong to ovoid.

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