Fabaceae
Mucuna

Mucuna glabrialata (Hauman) Verdc.

First published in Kew Bull. 24: 289 (1970)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to S. Tropical Africa. It is a climbing shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Robust climbing herb up to 3 m. long.
Morphology Stem
Stems glabrescent or sparsely covered with minute adpressed fulvous hairs particularly at the nodes.
Morphology Leaves
Leaflets rather thick, drying blackish, ovate-rhomboid, the laterals distinctly oblique, 2·6–8·5 cm. long, 2–7·5 cm. wide, broadly rounded or slightly emarginate but mucronulate at the apex, rounded at the base, covered with minute adpressed fulvous hairs; petiole 2·5–18 cm. long; rhachis 1–3 cm. long; petiolules 2·5–6 mm. long; stipules lanceolate or triangular, 4 mm. long, 1·5 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences 5–15 cm. long above a peduncle 2–9 cm. long; flowers 3 per node, on pedicels 4–5 mm. long; bracts deciduous, lanceolate, 1–1·1 cm. long, 4 mm. wide, pilose with fulvous hairs; bracteoles similar, 7–9 mm. long, 1·5 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx with adpressed fulvous hairs; tube 5 mm. long, 1 cm. wide; lobes triangular, 4·5–9 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard almost black, rounded-ovate, 2·1–2·4 cm. long, 2–2·2 cm. wide; wings deep blackish-red or almost black, 2·5–3·2 cm. long, hairy only along lower margin at base but not on blade above; keel similarly coloured, 2·5–3 cm. long, the tip horny.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods oblong, elongate-sigmoid, 7–8 cm. long, 1·1–1·4 cm. wide, very densely covered with pale yellowish-fulvous irritant hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds olive-brown to black, rounded in outline or oblong, compressed, longest dimension 8–9·5 mm., shorter dimension 7–8 mm., 2·5–4·5 mm. thick; hilum central, 3·5 mm. long; rim-aril black.
Figures
Fig. 82/4, p. 563.
Habitat
Brachystegia woodland; 900–1800 m.
Distribution
T4 T7 T8
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian woodland
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

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

Morphology General Habit
Robust climbing herb up to 3 m long.
Morphology Stem
Stems glabrescent or sparsely covered with minute appressed fulvous hairs, particularly at the nodes.
Morphology Leaves Leaflets
Leaflets rather thick, drying blackish, 2.6–8.5 × 2–7.5 cm, ovate-rhombic, the laterals distinctly oblique, broadly rounded or slightly emarginate but mucronulate at the apex, rounded at the base, covered with minute appressed fulvous hairs; petiole 2.5–18 cm long; rhachis 1–3 cm long; petiolules 2.5–6 mm long; stipules 4 × 1.5 mm, lanceolate or triangular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences 5–15 cm long above a peduncle 2–9 cm long; flowers 3 per node, on pedicels 4–5 mm long; bracts 10–11 × 4 mm, lanceolate, pilose with fulvous hairs, deciduous; bracteoles similar, 7–9 × 1.5 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx with appressed fulvous hairs; tube 5 mm long, 1 cm wide; lobes 4.5–9 mm long, triangular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard almost black, 2.1–2.4 × 2–2.2 cm, rounded-ovate; wings deep blackish-red or almost black, 2.5–3.2 cm long, hairy only along lower margin at base but not on blade above; keel similarly coloured, 2.5–3 cm long, the tip horny.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods 7–8 × 1.1–1.4 cm, oblong, elongate-sigmoid, very densely covered with pale yellowish-fulvous, irritant hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds olive-brown to black, 8–9.5 × 7–8 × 2.5–4.5 mm, rounded in outline or oblong, compressed; hilum central, 3.5 mm long; rim aril black.
[FZ]

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]

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