Pleurolobus gangeticus (L.) J.St.-Hil. ex H.Ohashi & K.Ohashi

Leguminosae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:6. 2000

Morphology General Habit

Subshrub or woody herb 0.2–2 m tall, mostly erect, rarely prostrate or straggling.

Morphology Stem

Stems striate, angular, uncinulate-pubescent and with longer spreading hairs on the angles.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 1-foliolate; leaflet 0.4–17.5 × 0.4–6 cm, round, elliptic, oblong to ovate-lanceolate, rounded to acuminate at the apex, rounded, truncate, or even slightly cordate at the base, puberulous with very short hairs above, almost glabrous, pilose with much longer hairs beneath; petiole 5–20 mm long; petiolule 2–3 mm long; stipules 7–13 × 1–2 mm, lanceolate, venose, finely puberulous and with longer hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences pseudoracemose or paniculate, terminal and axillary, 7–40 cm long, hairy like the stems; peduncle 3–4 cm long, similarly hairy; pedicels 3–6 mm long, uncinulate-pubescent; primary bracts each subtending 3 or more flowers, 2–7.5 × 0.3–1 mm, linear or lanceolate, pilose; secondary bracts very small.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx finely uncinulate-puberulous and with long hairs on the lobes; tube 1 mm long; lobes 1–2 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard* pink, blue, white, mauve or greenish and dark blue, 4–5 × 3–4 mm, obovate, emarginate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits 8–25 mm long, of 3–7(8) articles; each article 2.5–3.5 × 2–2.5 mm, uncinulate-puberulous, sometimes with longer hairs on the margins, joined by narrow necks 0.5 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds yellow or orange-brown, 1.6–2 × 1.2–1.4 × 0.5 mm, compressed reniform.

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

Morphology General Habit

Herbaceous, or ± woody perennial herb from a few cm. to 1.5 m. tall, arising from a somewhat branched root system; stems prostrate to erect or arching, angular, striate, uncinulate-puberulent and abundantly strigose with upwardly directed tapering hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 1-foliolate; stipules slightly oblique, ovate-long-attenuate, 3.5–13 mm. long, 1–2 mm. wide, strongly striate, minutely puberulent and somewhat stiffly pilose over outer surface, ciliate, persistent or caducous; petioles puberulent throughout, moderately to densely long strigose especially on adaxial side, 0.4–2 cm. long; lamina ovate- or elliptic-acuminate (to -acute), obtuse at base, 1.2–15.5 cm. long, 0.9–5 cm. wide, minutely uncinulate-puberulent throughout with long tapering hairs along midrib and sometimes scattered over surface above, abundantly long-pilose beneath.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence of axillary and terminal racemes; rhachis ± similar to stem but becoming less densely or not at all strigose, and abundantly uncinulate-puberulent to -pubescent; primary bracts each usually subtending a fascicle of 3 or more pedicels, linear- to lanceolate-attenuate, 2–7.5 mm. long, 0.3–1 mm. wide, puberulent on the dorsal surface and stiffly pilose, ciliate; secondary bracts each subtending one pedicel, linear to subulate, ciliate, 1.5–3 mm. long, 0.3–0.5 mm. wide, all persistent; pedicels rather densely uncinulate-puberulent, stiff and stout, 3–8 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers variable in colour (probably changing with age and humidity), white to red or purple or a combination such as pink and purple or mauve and white.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pale green tinged reddish, minutely puberulent and strigose with stiff tapering hairs throughout, teeth of both lobes ciliate, central tooth of lower lobe 2.2–3.3 mm. long, lateral teeth slightly shorter, upper bifid lobe 2–2.5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard obovate, refuse, 3.2–4.5 mm. long; wings ± oblong, obtuse, shortly clawed, slightly auricled, 2.7–5 mm. long, 1–2 mm. wide; keel-petals ± scythe-shaped, obtuse to truncate at apex, shortly clawed, scarcely to somewhat auricled, 3.5–4 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit sessile to shortly stipitate, up to 7–8-articled, upper suture essentially straight, slightly indented at isthmi, lower suture curved, indented more deeply; articles uncinulate-puberulent on surfaces with some stiff tapering hairs scattered on sutures, 2–3 mm. long and wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed reniform, pale, 2 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide.

Figures

Fig. 65/10, p. 453.

Habitat

Deciduous woodland, wooded and open grassland, riverine forest and swampy places; sea-level to 2000 m.

Distribution

K3 K4 K7 T2 T3 T4 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2 U3 U4 Z throughout the Old World tropicssaid to be introduced in America, but seen only from cultivation

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Lake Victoria regional mosaic; wooded grassland, Zambezian woodland, Zambezian grassland, Zambezian wooded grassland, Zambezian anthropic landscapes., Sudanian woodland, Sudanian grasslands, Sudanian wooded grassland, Somalia-Masai woodland, Somal

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Climbing/Not climbing, Herb/Shrub

Vernacular

Famolakantsy, Kareti, Salwan, Sarivan

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

Trailing or lax herb sometimes ascending to nearly 1 m tall

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflet up to 10 cm long or more and to 6 cm broad, often much smaller, ovate-elliptic, broadly acute at apex, rounded at base. Corolla 3–4 mm long, light yellow or white tinged rose; inflorescence becoming elongated in fruit

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 5–10-jointed, curved, the segments 2–2.5 mm long and ca. 2 mm broad.

Distribution

Grand Cayman. Native of the Old World tropics; naturalised in Jamaica and Trinidad; attributed to St. Lucia by Adams (1972) but not by Howard (1988).]