Fabaceae
Cordyla

Cordyla africana Lour.

First published in Fl. Cochinch.: 412 (1790)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya to S. Africa. It is a tree and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Tree 9–24(?–40) m. high; bark brown or grey, rough, much fissured; crown bushy.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves:petiole with rhachis (5–)9–24 cm. long; leaflets 11–28, oblong, oblong-elliptic or ovate-oblong, (1–)2–5 cm. long, (0.7–)1.2–2.4 cm. wide, rounded at apex and sometimes slightly emarginate, rounded at base, minutely appressed-puberulous beneath.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes usually borne on shoots of current season below the leaves, 1.5–11 cm. long; pedicels (and outside of receptacle and calyx) subglabrous to shortly and finely pubescent, 4–9 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers (including stamens and ovary) 1.5–2.2(–3) cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle and calyx-lobes green, latter with tuft of yellowish pubescence at tip.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 23–45, orange-yellow.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits ellipsoid, oblong or spherical, ± oblique, 4.5–8 cm. long, 3–6 cm. wide, yellow, 1–3-seeded.
Figures
Fig. 51, p. 222.
Habitat
Riverine and ground-water forest; ? also in lowland dry evergreen forest; 10–900 m.
Distribution
K7 T2 T3 T6 T8 Z
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone; forest, Zambezian woodland, Somalia-Masai forest, Tongaland-Pondoland regional transition zone; forest
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Tree
[ILDIS]

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]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/62021841/62021844

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Flora Zambesiaca Leguminosae subfamily Papillionoideae by R.K. Brummitt

Morphology General Indumentum
Young branches glabrous or minutely pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 23–45, 13–21 mm long, yellow or orange-yellow. Stamens 23–45, 13–21 mm long, yellow or orange-yellow.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits up to 8 × 6 cm, the stipe c.2 cm long, ripening yellow. Fruits up to 8 × 6 cm, the stipe c.2 cm long, ripening yellow.
Distribution
Also in the coastal districts of Kenya and Tanzania, and in Swaziland and South Africa (Mpumalanga and N KwaZulu-Natal Province).
Ecology
In the Flora area occurring at low altitudes in hot areas, apparently confined to the coastal plain and larger river valleys, growing in riverine forest or in miombo woodland on escarpment slopes or alluvial plains; sea level to 1000 m.
Morphology General Habit
Usually a large deciduous tree up to 20(25) m high with a spreading crown; bark brown or grey, longitudinally fissured. Usually a large deciduous tree up to 20(25) m high with a spreading crown; bark brown or grey, longitudinally fissured.
Morphology Branches
Young branches glabrous or minutely pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves: petiole and rachis together (5)9–24 cm long; leaflets 11–30, each (1)2–4(5) × (0.6)1–1.8(2.4) cm, oblong or oblong-elliptic or oblong-ovate, rounded to emarginate at the apex, rounded to truncate at the base, glabrous above, minutely appressed-pubescent beneath; petiolules up to 4 mm long. Leaves: petiole and rachis together (5)9–24 cm long; leaflets 11–30, each (1)2–4(5) × (0.6)1–1.8(2.4) cm, oblong or oblong-elliptic or oblong-ovate, rounded to emarginate at the apex, rounded to truncate at the base, glabrous above, minutely appressed-pubescent beneath; petiolules up to 4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes usually borne in clusters on shoots of current season below the leaves, 1.5–6(11) cm long, appressed-pubescent; pedicels 3–4 mm long. Racemes usually borne in clusters on shoots of current season below the leaves, 1.5–6(11) cm long, appressed-pubescent; pedicels 3–4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Hypanthium
Hypanthium 5–6 mm long, green. Hypanthium 5–6 mm long, green.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds embedded in yellow sticky flesh, 1–4, c.3 × 1.5–1.8 cm, oblong. Seeds embedded in yellow sticky flesh, 1–4, c.3 × 1.5–1.8 cm, oblong.
[FZ]

Uses

Use
Food and Drink, Wood
[ILDIS]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • 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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/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

  • 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