Fabaceae
Nesphostylis

Nesphostylis holosericea (Welw. ex Baker) Verdc.

First published in Kew Bull. 24: 296 (1970)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical Africa. It is a climbing perennial 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
Perennial climbing or twining herb ± 1–3 m. long.
Morphology Stem
Stems densely covered with spreading ferruginous hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaflets elliptic-rhomboid, oblong or lanceolate, the laterals somewhat oblique, 3–8 cm. long, 1·5–6 cm. wide, acute or rounded but mucronate at the apex, acute or rounded at the base, entire or sometimes ± 3-lobed, pubescent to velvety and often ferruginous on both surfaces; petiole 1·2–8 cm. long; rhachis 0·3–2·5 cm. long; petiolules 1·5–4 mm. long; stipules triangular, ± 4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences 1-flowered; peduncles 1–5·5 cm. long; pedicels 2–9 mm. long; bracts deciduous, small, triangular, ± 2·5 mm. long; bracteoles ± persistent, large, paired, closely adpressed to the calyx, rounded-squarish, 6–10 mm. long and wide, velvety pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx velvety pubescent; tube ± 6 mm. long; lobes ± 5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard blue or purple, rounded-rhombic, 2·5 cm. long, 2–7 cm. wide, emarginate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods linear, 10–11 cm. long, 7·5–9 mm. wide, narrowed at both ends, margined, densely velvety ferruginous hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds dark brown, shiny, longest dimension 5·5–6·5 mm., shorter dimension 4 mm., 2·5–3 mm. thick; aril obliquely thickened and grooved, pale orange-brown speckled with black spots.
Figures
Fig. 101, p. 669.
Habitat
Disturbed ground formerly under Brachystegia woodland, grassland, bushland and old cultivations; 0–780 m.
Distribution
T3 T6 T8 Mozambique, West Africa to Angola
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial climbing herb, 1–3 m long.
Morphology Stem
Stems covered in pale spreading hairs.
Morphology Leaves Leaflets
Leaflets 3–6 × 2–3.4 cm, elliptic or oblong, mucronate, occasionally slightly to moderately lobed, pubescent; petiole 1.5–4.2 cm long; rhachis 8–18 mm long; petiolules 2–4 mm long; stipules 3–4 mm long, triangular, striate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flower on a peduncle 1–3 cm long; pedicel 2–6 mm long; bract to 3 mm long, triangular; bracteoles 4–6 mm in diameter, ovate, rounded, covered with dense soft ferruginous hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 8–10 mm long, similarly hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard blue or pale purple, 2.4–2.8 cm in diameter, ± rounded, emarginate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods 8–10.2 cm × 5–9 mm, linear, covered in dense soft ferruginous hairs, many-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 5–6 × 4 × 1–3 mm, oblong, with a well developed pale-coloured aril thickened and grooved.
[FZ]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Sudanian anthropic landscapes, Zambezian anthropic landscapes., Zambezian grassland, Sudanian bushland and thicket, Zambezian bushland and thicket, Sudanian grasslands
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

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]

Papilionaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit
A twiner
Morphology General Indumentum
Covered more or less with a dense white or yellowish pubescence
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers ornamental, fragrant, mauve turning yellow
Morphology Roots
Root tuberous
Ecology
Common amongst long grass.
[FWTA]

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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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