Fabaceae
Dolichos

Dolichos xiphophyllus Baker

First published in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1895: 66 (1895)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to Zambia. It is a perennial or tuberous geophyte 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
Erect perennial herb 30–50 cm. tall from a tuber.
Morphology Stem
Stems unbranched or sparingly branched, sometimes zigzag, sparsely pilose or later glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves unifoliolate; leaflet linear-elliptic, 1·4–2·3 cm. long, 0·7–1·4 cm.wide, tapering to an acute apex, narrowly cuneate at the base, greyish pubescent when young but usually soon glabrous, conspicuously 3-nerved from base to apex, the tertiary venation not prominent in mature leaves; petiole ± 3 mm. long; stipules oblong-lanceolate, 1·3–2 cm. long, 3–5·5 mm. wide, ciliate, veined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 2–15 in axillary fascicles, peduncle obsolete; pedicels 1–3·7 cm. long, sparsely pubescent or glabrous; bracteoles minute, linear.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx sparsely pubescent; tube 2·5–3·5 mm. long; lobes triangular, 2·5–4 mm. long, upper pair joined for ± three-quarters of their length or almost entirely joined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard bright mauve, almost round, 1·3–1·8 cm. long, 1·2–1·6 cm. wide; keel white.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods linear-oblanceolate, 4·5–5·5 cm. long, 8–10 mm. wide, sparsely pubescent particularly on the margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds not seen.
Habitat
Swampy grassland; 1500 m.
Distribution
T7
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian grassland
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not 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
Erect herb 30–50 cm tall, arising from a perennial tuberous rootstock.
Morphology Stem
Stems annual, unbranched or sparingly branched, sometimes zigzag, sparsely pilose or later glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 1-foliolate; leaflet 12.8–22 × 0.5–3 cm, very narrowly elliptic to linear-elliptic, acute at the apex, cuneate at the base, sparsely pubescent, conspicuously 3-veined from base to apex, tertiary venation obscure; petiole 2–5 mm long; stipules 10–19 × 3–5 mm, narrowly lanceolate, striate; stipels minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers axillary, in pairs or in 3–11-flowered fascicles; pedicels 1–3.7 cm long, sparsely pubescent or glabrous; bracts absent; bracteoles minute, linear.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx sparsely pubescent; tube 2.5–3.5 mm long; lobes 2.5–4 mm long, triangular, upper pair fused for most of their length.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard purple, 12–18 × 12–16 mm, round or nearly so; wings deep bluish-purple; keel paler to white.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 5–8 mm long, linear-oblong, compressed, pubescent; style 3–5 mm long, stigma minute, terminal, capitate, penicillate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods 4.2–5.2 cm × 7–9 mm, linear-oblong, sparsely pubescent on the surfaces, slightly more so on the margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds unknown.
[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