Indigofera brachynema J.B.Gillett

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual herb up to 35 cm. tall, everywhere covered with a sparse or dense indumentum of white, more or less appressed biramous hairs; rather short erect multicellular gland-tipped hairs nearly always also occur, which are up to 0.6 or rarely 1 mm. long on the stems and leaf-rhachis, up to 0.3 or rarely 1 mm. on the pod; such hairs are never found on the leaflets.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 7–11 (rarely –15)-foliolate; stipules linear-filiform, erect or spreading, up to 4 mm. long; rhachis prolonged beyond the lateral leaflets, up to 4 cm. long, including a petiole longer than the basal leaflets; leaflets up to 15 mm. long and 3 mm. wide, 2.6 to 6 times as long as wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes 6–20-flowered, about as long as the subtending leaf, the peduncle, at least in the fruiting state, shorter than the rest of the axis.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx deeply divided, 0.6–1 times as long as the 2.3–3 mm. long filaments.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style 0.7–1 mm. long, bent up through 50–90° near the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod straight, spreading, 10–18 mm. long, ± 1.6 mm. wide, 9–13-seeded; endocarp spotted.

Habitat

Dry grassland, Acacia, Commiphora bushland, margins of cultivation; 0–1250 m.; rainfall 400–900 mm.

Distribution

K1 K4 K7 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket, Zambezian anthropic landscapes., Zambezian bushland and thicket, Somalia-Masai grasslands, Somalia-Masai anthropic landscapes, Zambezian grassland

Morphology General Habit

Annual, Not climbing, Herb

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual, up to 35 cm tall, ± appressed white-pubescent throughout, stem, leaf-rhachis and pod also with short erect multicellular glandular hairs

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-rhachis up to 4 cm long including a petiole longer than the basal leaflets

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 7–11, narrowly elliptic, up to 15 x 3 mm, margins not glandular

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes 6–20-flowered, about as long as subtending leaf

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx c. 2 mm long, deeply divided

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard pubescent outside

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 2.3–3 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style 0.7–1 mm long, bent abruptly up near the base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 10–18 x 1.6 mm, spreading, straight, shortly glandular pubescent, 9–13-seeded.

Distribution

S2, 3 Ethiopia, Kenya and south to Zimbabwe and Angola.

Ecology

Altitude range 5–30 m.