Lessertia falciformis DC.

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb with a long woody taproot.

Morphology Stem

Stems 20–40 cm long, prostrate, covered by sparse small white appressed or ascending swollen simple hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves up to 7.5 cm long; leaflets 4–8 on each side of the rhachis, opposite or subopposite, up to 15 × 2 mm, linear-oblong, with white hairs as on the stems and petiole on the lower surface, glabrous above; terminal leaflet much longer than the distal lateral pair; petiole 5–18 mm long, with ascending or ± appressed small white swollen hairs; rhachis 3.5–5 cm long, only slightly prolonged beyond the ultimate pair of leaflets; petiolules less than 1 mm long; stipules 2–4 mm long, narrowly triangular, curved, persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes 3–6-flowered; peduncle (7)20–25 mm long; bracts 1–1.5 mm long, persistent; pedicels 2–3 mm long; bracteoles minute, linear, at the base of the calyx or often absent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx c. 3 mm long, campanulate, divided to near the middle into 5 subequal teeth.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 5–8 mm long, pink or purplish, glabrous; standard 5–8 × c. 6 mm, elliptic, emarginate at the apex, tapering at the base into a 1 mm long claw; wings 5–7 mm long, the blades c. 2 mm wide, oblong-falcate, auriculate at the base, the claws c. 2 mm long; keel petals 5–8 mm long, the blades c. 3 mm wide, obovate, rounded at the apex, auriculate at the base, the claws c. 2 mm long, linear.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filament sheath up to 5 mm long; free parts of the filaments c. 2 mm long; free stamen 5 mm long; anthers c. 0.2 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary shortly stipitate, 4–5 mm long, oblong, pluri-ovulate; style 2 mm long, persistent in fruit.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod c. 40 × 8 mm, falcate, membranaceous, shortly stipitate, narrowed at the base, with a short beak at the apex terminated by the upcurved style, sparsely setulose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 9–15 in each pod, 3 × 1.5 mm, broadly reniform, yellowish-brown, with a long funicle.

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