Eriosema rhynchosioides Baker

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

Morphology General Habit

Prostrate perennial herb, with several sparsely branched stems from a rootstock consisting of several fusiform tubers up to 7 cm. long and 1·2 cm. wide.

Morphology Stem

Stems slender, up to ± 70 cm. long, with quite long internodes, pubescent to velvety and with some longer bristly hairs as well.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets 3, elliptic or ovate, 1·3–6·5 cm. long, 0·8–3 cm. wide, acute to mostly rounded but mucronulate at the apex, rounded at the base, glabrescent to pubescent above, glandular and pubescent on the nerves to densely velvety beneath; venation raised beneath, dark reddish in dry state; petiole 0·7–2·5 cm. long; rhachis 6–10 mm. long; petiolules 2 mm. long; stipules narrowly triangular, 4–5 mm. long, 1·2 mm. wide, pubescent, veined.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes axillary, short, 1–20-flowered; rhachis 0·5–2 cm. long; peduncle 1·5–9 cm. long, pubescent and with longer hairs; pedicels ± 2 mm. long; bracts deciduous, ovate, 2–3 mm. long, 1·5 mm. wide, pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pubescent and glandular, 3·5–5 mm. long; lobes lanceolate, ± equalling the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard dull yellow outside tinged or veined with red, yellow or orange inside, obovate or rhombic, 0·6–1·25 cm. long, 3·5–7 mm. wide, densely pubescent and also glandular in median area.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods oblong, 1–1·6 cm. long, 7–9 mm. wide, with short pubescence and also longer ferruginous hairs ± 1 mm. long and scattered glands.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds pale pinkish-brown with dark speckling or black, elliptic-oblong, longest dimension (3–)4·5–5 mm., shorter dimension 3–4 mm., 1·2–2 mm. thick; rim-aril brown.

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

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, 1.3–6.5 × 0.8–3 cm, elliptic or ovate, acute to mostly rounded but mucronulate at the apex, rounded at the base, glabrescent to pubescent above, glandular and pubescent on the nerves to densely velvety beneath; venation raised beneath, dark reddish in dry state; petiole 7–25 mm long; rhachis 6–10 mm long; petiolules 2 mm long; stipules 4–5 × 1.2 mm, narrowly triangular, pubescent, veined.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes axillary, short, 1–20-flowered; rhachis 0.5–2 cm long; peduncle 1.5–9 cm long, pubescent and with longer hairs; pedicels c. 2 mm long; bracts deciduous, 2–3 × 1.5 mm, ovate, pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pubescent and glandular, 3.5–5 mm long; lobes lanceolate, ± equalling the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard dull yellow outside tinged or veined with red, yellow or orange inside, 6–12.5 × 3.5–7 mm, obovate or rhombic, densely pubescent and also glandular in the median area.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 10–16 × 7–9 mm, oblong, with short pubescence and also longer ferruginous hairs c. 1 mm long and scattered glands.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds pale pinkish-brown with dark speckling or black, (3)4.5–5 × 3–4 × 1.2–2 mm, ellipsoid-oblong; rim aril brown.

Morphology General Habit

Prostrate perennial herb, with several sparsely branched stems from a rootstock consisting of several fusiform tubers up to 7 × 1.2 cm.

Morphology Stem

Stems slender, up to c. 70 cm long, with quite long internodes, pubescent to velvety and with some longer bristly hairs as well.

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