Fabaceae
Decorsea

Decorsea schlechteri (Harms) Verdc.

First published in Kew Bull. 24: 445 (1970)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to S. Africa. It is a climbing perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Stems rather slender, somewhat ridged, mostly glabrous, ± 3 m. long; flowering shoots often leafless.
Morphology Leaves
Terminal leaflet rhomboid-lanceolate to triangular-ovate, the laterals similar but markedly asymmetrical, falcate, 2·2–7·5 cm. long, 0·8–3·7 cm. wide, narrowed to a rounded but mucronulate apex, or slightly emarginate, rounded at the base, with sparse short bristly hairs scattered on both surfaces and margins or glabrescent or more rarely densely pubescent; venation reticulate and prominent on both surfaces; petiole 2–6·5 cm. long; rhachis 0·4–1·6 cm. long; petiolules ± 2·5 mm. long; stipules narrowly ovate-elliptic, ± 3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Axis of inflorescence often much wrinkled, 0·4–1·5 cm. long, often 2–3-branched or sometimes peduncle 3–4 cm. long; pedicels 0·6–1·4 cm. long; bracts and bracteoles minute, ovate, ± 1 mm. long, ribbed, ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-tube 3–4 mm. long, glabrous; lower lobes deltoid, ± 2 mm. long, ciliate; upper pair united into a low rounded lip.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard blue, greenish-yellow or mostly mauve, 1·5 cm. long, 1·8 cm.wide; wings violet or pink; keel mostly pale.
Morphology General Indumentum
Hairs in a ring around stigma clearly branched.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods linear, 7·5–10·5 cm. long, 5 mm. wide, curved at the tip, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds dark blackish-red or brown mottled black, longest dimension 5·5–8 mm., shorter dimension 3–4 mm., 2·5–3·2 mm. thick, somewhat keeled along the distal margin, hollowed around the hilum.
Figures
Fig. 94.
Habitat
Combretum and Brachystegia woodland; 300–420 m.
Distribution
T8
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian woodland
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Climbing, Herb
[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]

Leguminosae, B. Mackinder, R. Pasquet, R. Polhill and B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:5. 2001

Morphology General Habit
Perennial twining herb.
Morphology Stem
Stems rather slender, somewhat ridged, mostly glabrous, up to c. 3 m long; flowering shoots often leafless.
Morphology Leaves Leaflets
Leaflets 2.2–7.5 × 0.8–3.7 cm, the terminal leaflet rhombic-lanceolate to triangular-ovate, the lateral leaflets similar but markedly asymmetrical, falcate; all leaflets narrowed to a rounded but mucronulate apex, or slightly emarginate, more rarely sharply acute, rounded at the base, with sparse short bristly hairs scattered on upper and lower surfaces and the margins, or glabrescent or more rarely densely pubescent, venation reticulate and prominent on both surfaces; petiole 2–6.5 cm long; rhachis 0.4–1.6 cm long; petiolules c. 2.5 mm long; stipules c. 3 mm long, narrowly ovate-elliptic.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence axis often much wrinkled, 0.4–1.5 cm long, often 2–3-branched or sometimes peduncle 3–4 cm long; pedicels 0.6–1.4 cm long; bracts and bracteoles minute, c. 1 mm long, ovate, ribbed, ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tube 3–4 mm long, glabrous; lobes c. 2 mm long, deltate, ciliate, the upper pair united into a low rounded lip.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard blue, greenish-yellow or mostly mauve, 1.5 × 1.8 cm; wings violet or pink; keel mostly pale.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Hairs in a ring around stigma, clearly branched.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods 7.5–12.5 cm × 5 mm, linear, curved at the tip, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds dark blackish-red or brown mottled black, 5.5–8 × 3–4 × 2.5–3.2 mm, somewhat keeled along the distil margin, hollowed around the hilum.
[FZ]

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/

  • 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