Fabaceae
Kotschya

Kotschya bullockii Verdc.

First published in Kew Bull. 24: 36 (1970)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to Zambia. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Shrub or small tree 1.8–3.6 m tall.
Morphology Stem
Stems densely covered with short upwardly directed yellow very bulbous-based stiff hairs, later roughened with stipule-bases and eventually peeling to reveal a reddish almost powdery surface beneath.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 24–40-foliolate; leaflets 2.5–11 × 0.8–2 mm, linear-oblong, slightly but distinctly falcate, acute at the apex, oblique at the base, somewhat coriaceous, rather glossy, ciliate and with stronger bulbous-based cilia along the completely marginal main nerve; other basal nerves obscure; petiole and rhachis together 2–6 cm long, densely covered with bulbous-based hairs similar to those on the stem; petiolules very short; stipules 5–6 × 2.5 mm, triangular, scarious, veined, at least the bases persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, short, lax, 1–4-flowered; peduncle c. 5 mm long; rhachis c. 3 cm long; pedicels 5–7 mm long, covered with hairs similar to those on the stem; bracts 6–7 × 2 mm, ovate-lanceolate, shortly ciliolate; bracteoles 8–9 × 2 mm, lanceolate, acuminate, covered with appressed bulbous-based hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx with similar hairs, 2-lipped; lips c. 2 cm long, oblong, the upper shortly 2-fid for c. 3 mm into subacute lobes, the lower divided for 5–6 mm into 3 subacute lobes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard pinkish-yellow with purple lines or more usually blue, 24 × 12–13 mm, oblong, emarginate, glabrous; wings and keel presumably the same colour as the standard, with a few bristly hairs at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 2-ovulate, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit with stipe 4 mm long, of 2 articles, each article 6 × 4 mm, elliptic, pilose with short and long hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds chestnut-brown, 4.7 × 3 × 1.7 mm, ellipsoid-reniform, compressed.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Shrub or small tree 1.8–3.6 m. tall.
Morphology Stem
Stems densely covered with short upwardly directed yellow very bulbous-based stiff hairs, later roughened with stipule-bases and eventually peeling and revealing a reddish almost powdery surface beneath.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 24–40-foliolate; leaflets linear-oblong, slightly but distinctly falcate, 0.25–1.1 cm. long, 0.8–2 mm. wide, acute at the apex, oblique at the base, somewhat coriaceous, rather glossy, ciliate and with stronger bulbous-based cilia along the completely marginal main nerve, other basal nerves obscure; petiole and rhachis together 2–6 cm. long, densely covered with bulbous-based hairs similar to those on the stem; petiolules very short; stipules triangular, 5–6 mm. long, 2.5 mm. wide, scarious, veined, at least the bases persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, short, lax, 1–4-flowered; rhachis ± 3 cm. long; peduncle ± 5 mm. long; pedicels 5–7 mm. long, covered with hairs similar to those on the stem; bracts ovate-lanceolate, 6–7 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, shortly ciliolate; bracteoles lanceolate, 8–9 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, acuminate, covered with adpressed bulbous-based hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx with similar hairs, 2-lipped, the lips oblong, ± 2 cm. long, the upper shortly bifid for ± 3 mm. into subacute lobes, the lower divided for 5–6 mm. into 3 subacute lobes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard pinkish-yellow with purple lines or more usually blue, oblong, 2.4 cm. long, 1.2–1.3 cm. wide, emarginate, glabrous; wings and keel presumably the same colour as the standard, with a few bristly hairs at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 2-ovulate, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod with stipe 4 mm. long, of 2 articles, each elliptic, 6 mm. long, 4 mm. wide, pilose with short and long hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds chestnut, ellipsoid-reniform, compressed, longest dimension 4.7 mm., shorter dimension 3 mm., 1.7 mm. thick.
Figures
Fig. 60, p. 422.
Habitat
Rocky outcrops with Parinari curatellifolia, “ mossy roadside ditches”; 1500–1710 m.
Distribution
T4
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian woodland
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Shrub/Tree
[ILDIS]

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: low confidence
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East 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

  • 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