Mucuna coriacea Baker

Leguminosae, B. Mackinder, R. Pasquet, R. Polhill and B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:5. 2001

Morphology General Habit

Climbing or trailing herb or liane 3–4.5 m long.

Morphology Stem

Stems densely to sparsely covered with appressed or spreading ferruginous hairs.

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets usually rather thick, 3.5–9(11) × 3–7.5 cm, elliptic or obliquely ovate, rounded or slightly emarginate and mucronulate at the apex, rounded or slightly subcordate at the base, velvety with appressed whitish hairs or appressed pubescent on both surfaces; petiole 1.5–7 cm long; rhachis 0.4–2 cm long; petiolules 4–5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences 2–many-flowered; rhachis 0.3–14 cm long; peduncle 1.3–10 cm long; flowers 2–3 per node, on pedicels 4–10 mm long; bracts and bracteoles 7–10 × 1–3 mm, acute, deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx covered with appressed bristly golden hairs or with a finer ferruginous pubescence; tube 5–7.5(9) mm long; lobes 4–9(12) mm long, narrowly triangular, the upper lip acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard pale maroon to purple or black, 2.5–3.5 cm long and wide, rounded-ovate, glabrous; wings deep maroon, 3.5–4 cm long, with a zone of golden hairs on the outside; keel deep maroon, sometimes whitish below, 3–4.8 cm long, the beak horny, blackish or brownish.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 5–7(8) × 1–1.5 cm, oblong, curved, densely covered with brownish very irritant bristles.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds pinkish-brown or buff with darker brown mottling, shiny, 8–9 × 7.5 × 3.5 mm, elliptic-oblong, compressed; hilum short with black rim aril and produced into a scale-like appendage.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian wooded grassland, Lake Victoria regional mosaic; wooded grassland, Zambezian woodland

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Climbing, Herb/Shrub

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

Morphology General Habit

Climbing or trailing herb or liane 3–4·5 m. long.

Morphology Stem

Stems densely to sparsely covered with adpressed or spreading ferruginous hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets usually rather thick, elliptic or obliquely ovate, 3·5–9(–11) cm. long, 3–7·5 cm. wide, rounded or slightly emarginate and mucronulate at the apex, rounded or slightly subcordate at the base, velvety with adpressed whitish hairs or adpressed pubescent on both surfaces; petiole 1·5–7 cm. long; rhachis 0·4–2 cm. long; petiolules 4–5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences 2–many-flowered; rhachis 0·3–14 cm. long; peduncle 1·3–10 cm. long; flowers 2–3 per node, on pedicels 4–10 mm. long; bracts and bracteoles deciduous, 7–10 mm. long, 1–3 mm. wide, acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx covered with adpressed bristly golden hairs or with a finer ferruginous pubescence; tube 5–7·5(–9) mm. long; lobes narrowly triangular, 4–9(–12) mm. long, the upper lip acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard pale maroon to purple or black, rounded-ovate, 2·5–3·5 cm. long and wide, glabrous; wings deep maroon, 3·5–4 cm. long, with a zone of golden hairs on the outside; keel deep maroon, sometimes whitish below, 3–4·8 cm. long, the beak horny, blackish or brownish.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods oblong, curved, 5–7(–8) cm. long, 1–1·5 cm. wide, densely covered with brownish bristles.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds pinkish-brown or buff with darker brown mottling, elliptic-oblong, compressed, shiny, longest dimension 8–9 mm., shorter dimension 7·5 mm., thickness 3·5 mm.; hilum short with black rim-aril and produced into a scale-like appendage.