Fabaceae
Eriosema

Eriosema glomeratum (Guill. & Perr.) Hook.f.

First published in W.J.Hooker, Niger Fl.: 313 (1849)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical Africa. It is a tuberous subshrub 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
Branched erect or low growing subshrubby herb, (0·2–)0·3–1·2(–2·4) m. tall.
Morphology Branches
Branches leafy, covered with long spreading and also some shorter hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaflets (1–)3, oblong, elliptic or rarely obovate, 2·1–6·7 cm. long, 0·8–2·5(–3·1) cm. wide, rounded to a minutely apiculate apex or ± acute, rounded or cuneate at the base, pubescent to softly velvety pilose on both surfaces or almost glabrous, glands inconspicuous; nerves raised beneath, frequently some not reaching the margin; petiole 2–4 mm. long; rhachis 1·5–2·5 mm. long; petiolules 1·5–2·5 mm. long; stipules lanceolate, 0·7–1·3 cm. long, 1·2 mm. wide, hairy, closely veined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes axillary, short and dense, 10–30(–40)-flowered, oblong or subglobose; rhachis usually 1–2 cm. long; peduncle 0·2–2 cm. long; pedicels ± 3 mm. long; bracts deciduous, lanceolate, 3 mm. long, 0·5 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx with long spreading hairs, 5–6(–10) mm. long; lobes linear, usually 2–3 times as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla yellow, yellowish-white or rarely pale mauve (fide Tanner 2573); standard obovate, 6–8·5 mm. long, 2·5–4 mm. wide, minutely puberulous but not glandular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods oval, 1–1·1 cm. long, 6–7 mm. wide, covered with long and short hairs and glands.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds dark reddish to black or brown, sometimes speckled purple, longest dimension 3·5–4 mm., shorter dimension 2·1–3 mm., 1–1·5 mm. thick; rim-aril cream.
Habitat
Grassland, grassland with scattered trees often seasonally burnt, also at edges of coconut plantations and in scrub on coral and sandy soils; 0–1500 m.
Distribution
K4 K7 T3 T6 U1 U3 U4 Z W. Africa
[FTEA]

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]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone; grassland., Zambezian grassland, Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone; bushland and thicket., Sudanian grasslands
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

Papilionaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit
An erect low-branching, softly hairy shrub
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Yellow flowers in dense axillary sessile or shortly pedunculate clusters.
[FWTA]

Uses

Use
Food and Drink, Toxins
[ILDIS]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • 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