Fabaceae
Lathyrus

Lathyrus hygrophilus Taub.

First published in H.G.A.Engler, Pflanzenw. Ost-Afrikas, C: 219 (1895)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ethiopia to Malawi. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Leguminosae, various authors. Flora Zambesiaca 3:7. 2003

Morphology General Habit
Straggling or climbing perennial herb; rootstock not seen but probably small.
Morphology Stem
Stems numerous, much branched, 0.5–1.5 mm in diameter, at first pubescent, later glabrous or subglabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 2-foliolate; leaflets 13–65 × 2–12 mm, linear to elliptic, acute to rounded but mucronulate at the apex, cuneate at the base, glabrous to pilose on both surfaces or only beneath, sometimes with numerous small red ellipsoid glands; petiole 3–15 mm long, very narrowly winged, produced beyond the leaflets into an unbranched tendril; petiolules 0.5–1 mm long; stipules 5–12 mm long, narrowly semi-sagittate with the lobes narrow, sometimes with a small tooth between the lobes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary or less often paired; peduncle 2–25(33) mm long, pubescent; pedicels 4–6 mm long, pubescent; bract 1–1.3 mm long, hyaline, subulate, soon caducous or absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx pubescent or pilose to glabrous; tube 2–2.5 mm long; lobes 2–5.5 mm long, narrowly triangular-subulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla whitish, purplish or pinkish,11–13 mm long; standard greenish-white, pinkish or yellowish, usually with purple lines inside, 12–13 × 9 mm, obovate, emarginate, narrowed to the base into a 4 mm long, broad claw; wings c. 11 mm long, the lamina falcate-obovate, with a short conjunctival flap above the auricle and adhering to the keel; keel a little shorter than the wings, incurved, obtuse, the lamina slightly pouched above the small auricles, the claw c. 4 mm long, straight.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Vexillary stamen adhering to the others; filament sheath 7–7.5 mm long; free parts of the filaments 5–5.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 4–5 mm long, pubescent towards the apex on the upper side.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod 25–48 × 5–6 mm, linear-oblong, laterally compressed, glabrous to pubescent or ciliate on the margins; valves with a scarcely evident reticulate venation.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds usually 5–8, dark brown to purplish-brown, with maximum dimensions of 4.1 × 2.9 × 1.8 mm, subglobose to ellipsoid.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Straggling or climbing herb 0·3–2·1 m. long, often considered to be an annual, but no rootstocks preserved and, judging by the woody bases of some stems and several field notes, probably always a perennial.
Morphology Stem
Stems much branched, at first usually pubescent, later glabrous, sometimes with sparse to dense small red glands.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 2-foliolate; leaflets linear to elliptic or lanceolate, 1·1–7 cm. long, 0·15–1·4 cm. wide, acute to narrowly rounded but mucronulate at the apex, cuneate at the base, glabrous to pubescent and often with pale dots on both surfaces; petiole 0·2–2 cm. long, generally terminated by an unbranched tendril; stipules narrowly semisagittate, 0·5–1·2 cm. long, the lobes narrow.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary or, less often, paired; peduncle 0·2–2 cm. long; pedicels (3–)4–6 mm. long, the rhachis not pro-longed into an awn-like bract.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx pubescent; tube 3–3·5 mm. long; lobes triangular or lanceolate, 2–4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white, pink or purplish; standard often with pink or purple veins, obovate-oblong, 0·8–1·4 cm. long, 6·5–10 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods linear-oblong, compressed, 4–5 cm. long, 4·5–6·5 mm. wide, glabrous to pubescent or ciliate only along the margins; valves with scarcely evident reticulate venation.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds dark brown or purplish-brown, subglobose, somewhat compressed, 2·5–3 mm. in diameter.
Figures
Fig. 155.
Habitat
Upland grassland, moorland, bamboo forest, forest edges, also in swampy places; (1380–)1800–4100 m.
Distribution
K3 K4 K5 T2 T4 T7 U2 U3
[FTEA]

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
[AERP]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Afromontane grassland, Afromontane(upland) bushland and thicket., Afromontane (upland) shrubland ('moorland')., Afromontane bamboo thicket.
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

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