Dichrostachys kirkii Benth.

First published in Trans. Linn. Soc. London 30: 383 (1875)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NE. Tropical Africa. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Type
S2, “Brava”, Kirk s.n. (K holo.)
Morphology General Habit
Shrub or small tree, armed with spines terminating short lateral twigs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves with 1–5 pairs of pinnae; rhachis including petiole up to 1.5 cm long; leaflets 3–8 pairs, oblong, up to 4 x 2 mm, subglabrous to pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences yellow in upper bisexual part, mauve, white or yellow in neuter part which is sometimes lacking, c. 1–2 cm long; peduncle up to 2.5 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 0.5–1 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla c. 2 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Staminodes
Staminodes up to 1 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod c. 4–6 x 0.8–1 cm, dehiscing from apex down­wards, the valves recurving.
Distribution
C1, 2; S2; E Ethiopia
Ecology
Altitude range 10–300 m.
Vernacular
Dhiigtaar, galool, kabatir (Somali)
Note
D. kirkii is very variable in central Somalia. Normally the species has mauve or whitish neuter flowers at the base of the inflorescence, but there are also populations with yellow neuter flowers as well as populations in which neuter flowers are entirely lacking. See Thulin in Nord. J. Bot. 8: 459–460 (1989).
[FSOM]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/35837/9961397

Conservation
NT - near threatened
[IUCN]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Insufficiently known
Ecology
Africa: Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Shrub/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]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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