Eriosema englerianum Harms

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

Morphology General Habit

Suffrutex from a woody rootstock up to 2.5(3.5) cm wide, with red juice, producing at first up to 20 leafless flowering branches 15–22 cm tall and later developing leafy branches 0.6–2 m tall; stems with dense whitish velvety tomentum.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves (1)3–foliolate; leaflets 3.5–14.5(19) × 1.5–10(12.5) cm, elliptic, oblong-elliptic or oblong-obovate, rounded but mucronulate at the apex, rounded, subcordate or broadly cuneate at the base, at first densely hairy but later ± glabrous above, densely velvety hairy and paler, often whitish or silvery beneath; stipules 5–8 × 4–5 mm, oblong-ovate or ovate, silky; petiole 0–1.2 cm long, velvety; rhachis 0.8–1.5 cm long, velvety; petiolules c. 2 mm long, velvety.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences dense, elongate, either arising directly from the rootstock or later axillary on the leafy shoots, simple or branched, 6.5–20 cm long including a peduncle up to ± one-third the length; pedicels 4–8 mm long; bracts 6–7 × 2.5–4 mm, obovate-acuminate, silky white pubescent outside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx densely silvery hairy; tube 4–5 mm long; lobes lanceolate, very unequal, the upper joined for half their length, laterals 5–7 mm long, lower one c. 10 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard orange or golden-yellow, reddish-brown or purple-brown striate outside, 12–18 × 7–8 mm, ± obovate, densely silvery hairy on outer face; wings yellow and keel greenish-yellow flushed purple-brown at tip, 1.3–1.6 cm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 2–2.2 × 0.9–1.2 cm, oblong-elliptic, mucronate, densely silky white hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds dark purple, 5.5 × 3.5 mm, oblong-ellipsoid, very compressed, with yellow rim aril 4 × 1 mm.