Lessertia benguellensis Baker

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect robust many-stemmed perennial herb up to 1.5 m high, from a woody rootstock.

Morphology Stem

Stems herbaceous and pithy above, branching, glabrous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 5–13.5 cm long; leaflets 2–9 on each side of the rhachis, opposite or distally subopposite, 6–25 × 2–9 mm, linear-oblong or obovate, truncate to emarginate and mucronulate at the apex, cuneate at the base, very sparsely white hairy beneath, glabrous above; petiole 1–1.5 cm long, with very sparse white hairs; rhachis 1.5–12 cm long, sulcate on the upper side; petiolules up to 1 mm long, with sparse white stiff hairs; stipules 1–3 mm long, lanceolate, with white stiff hairs at the margins.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes up to 4 cm long, 3–many-flowered; peduncle 3–8 mm long; bracts 1–1.5 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, with stiff white hairs at the margins; pedicels 7 mm long; bracteoles at the base of the calyx, minute, with stiff hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2.5–3 mm long, campanulate, divided halfway into 5 equal teeth, with stiff hairs only at the margins.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 8 mm long, yellow-greenish with the standard and wings streaked with purple-violet-bluish; standard c. 8 mm long and 6 mm wide, obovate, rounded and shortly emarginate at the apex, tapering at the base into a linear claw; wing petals c. 7 mm long including the 2 mm long filiform claws, the blades c. 2 mm wide, falcate-oblong, auriculate at the base; keel petals c. 8 mm long including the 3 mm long linear claws, the blades 2.5 mm wide, obovate, rounded at the apex, auriculate at the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filament sheath up to 5 mm long; free parts of the filaments 2.5 mm long; free stamen 6 mm long; anthers less than 1 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary c. 4 mm long, oblong, up to 7-ovulate, glabrous; style 2 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 1.5–4 × 1–2 cm, ovate or obliquely elliptic, sometimes with the dorsal suture arched, acute to obtuse or rounded at the apex, cuneate to rounded at the base and abruptly tapering into a 2–3 mm long stipe, membranaceous, translucent, brownish, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1–7, obliquely oblong-reniform, 5 × 3.5 mm, dark brown.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Ecology

Africa: Kalahari-Highveld regional transition zone: saline & brackish swamp, etc.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Herb