Erythrina greenwayi Verdc.

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: threatened. Confidence: confident

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

Morphology General Habit

Tree to 15 m. tall with spreading rounded crown; bole fluted; bark grey-green with numerous deep longitudinal fissures, covered with thick woody spiny bosses particularly near the base of the bole.

Morphology Branches

Young branchlets pale yellowish-brown tomentose, soon glabrous, wrinkled and roughened.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate, densely tomentose when very young; leaflets ovate-reniform in outline, 7–9 cm. long, 9·5–12 cm. wide, truncate to gently concave but cuneate into the actual petiolules, deeply palmately (4–)5-lobed for about two-thirds their length, the lobes narrowly triangular, narrowed to a blunt apex, glabrous except near main veins beneath; petioles ±7 cm. long; rhachis 2·7 cm. long; petiolules 5–6 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers brick-red in fairly dense racemes ± 6 cm. long borne on peduncles 5–6 cm. long; pedicels 7 mm. long; bracts and bracteoles lanceolate or triangular, ±1·5 mm. long, very deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx glabrous (save in young bud), campanulate, thin, ± 7 mm. long, shortly splitting into 2–3 rounded lobes ± 1·5–2·5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard obovate-elliptic, 3·2 cm. long, 2·2 cm. wide, rounded at the apex, strongly narrowed to the base; wings obliquely semicircular, 1·1 cm. long, 7·5 mm. wide; keel-petals free, transversely semi-elliptic, 8 mm. long and wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary with woolly grey tangled hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods semi-lunate or oblong, 6–8 cm. long, 2·8–4 cm. wide, much compressed, grey, thinly leathery, apparently indehiscent, upper margin with 2 narrow wings and lower with a single narrow wing, 1–3-seeded; stipe 3–3·5 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds ochraceous, stained brown along the upper margin, elliptic-oblong in outline, strongly compressed, longest dimension 1·4 cm., shorter dimension 1 cm., ± 4 mm. thick; hilum short, elliptic, 3 mm. long, with slightly developed rim-aril.

Habitat

Granite outcrops on very rocky hill-slope in Gordyla, Delonix, Excoecaria, Commiphora, Grewia, Gombretum, Acacia, Isoberlinia closed deciduous woodland; 750–1000 m.

Distribution

T7 not known elsewhere