Humularia bequaertii (De Wild.) P.A.Duvign.

Leguminosae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:6. 2000

Morphology General Habit

Subshrub 0.6–1.5 m tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems erect, mostly much-branched, often flattened, purplish-brown, glabrous to very glandular with tubercular-based hairs or glandular-setulose particularly on younger stems.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 4–6-foliolate; leaflets 7–35 × 3.5–21 mm, obovate or elliptic, obtuse but mucronulate at the apex, obliquely cuneate to rounded at the base, often pruinose, glabrous to glandular-pubescent, entire to distinctly denticulate-ciliate; the main nerve oblique with venation strongly reticulate especially beneath and with 3–6 other basal nerves; petiole 5–30 mm long and rhachis 5–20 mm long, both glabrous to densely pubescent or with a few tubercular-based hairs, the rhachis prolonged as a bristle 1–10 mm long; stipules often pruinose, 5–22 × 5–15 mm, oblong, elliptic, ovate or almost round, rounded at both ends or slightly subcordate at the base, densely veined with numerous approximate basal nerves; indumentum similar to the leaflets.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences often borne on branches where leaves are reduced to stipules, 1.5–4 cm long, densely strobilate; peduncle 5–15 mm long, glandular-pubescent; pedicels 2.5–3.5 mm long, similarly pubescent; bracts green or purplish then turning reddish-yellow, 0.7–2 × 1.4–3 cm, rounded, divided for one-fifth to half of their length into 2 rounded or elliptic lobes which are venose, sparsely to densely ciliate round the margins, glabrous or pubescent with tubercular-based hairs; the outermost bracts may be only 5 mm long and wide and divided almost to the base; bracteoles 3–5 × 1–2.5 mm, narrowly elliptic, ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx lobes 10–11 × 4.5–6 mm, oblong-elliptic, the upper entire or slightly 2-fid, the lower shortly but distinctly 3-fid.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard yellow or orange, 9–14 × 4–7.5 mm, oblong with a slight median waist.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit of 1–2 articles; articles kettle-drum-shaped, the upper margin straight, the lower semi-elliptic, 5–6 mm long and wide, finely glandular-pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds chestnut-brown, 4 mm long and wide, 1.8 mm thick, obliquely rounded-cordate or round in outline; the small hilum distinctly eccentric.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian woodland

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Herb