Pseudovigna argentea (Willd.) Verdc.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/19893135/20130917

Conservation

LC - least concern

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

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone; grassland.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Climbing/Not climbing, Herb

Clark, R., van der Burgt, X., Banks, H. et al. Kew Bull (2011) 66: 589. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-011-9314-8

Morphology General Habit

Herb, perennial, twining

Morphology General Indumentum

Indumentum of erect, short and long, white to pale brown trichomes present on most parts of the plant (henceforth to be referred to simply as ‘trichomes’)

Morphology Stem

Stems longitudinally ridged, moderately to densely covered with trichomes Internodes 4 – 18 cm

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules persistent, elliptic, acute, striate, 6 – 7 × 2 – 4 mm, outer surface sparsely to moderately covered with trichomes, inner surface glabrous

Morphology Leaves Stipel

Stipels persistent, filiform, striate, 5 – 6 × 0.5 – 1 mm, outer surface sparsely covered with cream coloured trichomes, inner surface glabrous

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets mid green above, paler, greyish green below, rhombic, lobed, terminals 3 – 10 × 4 – 11.3 cm, laterals 3 – 10.5 × 3 – 10 cm, 3 – 5 nerved from base, veins raised on both surfaces, more prominent below; upper surface sparsely covered with long, regular, appressed, white to pale brown trichomes; lower surface moderately to densely covered with long, slender, appressed, white trichomes Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, petioles 2.5 – 18.5 cm, rhachis 0.5 – 4 cm, both longitudinally ridged, petiolules 2 – 4 mm, all sparsely to moderately covered with trichomes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axilliarypseudoracemes, 2 – 6 (– 12) cm, including peduncle 2.5 – 3 cm, (2 –) 3 – 6 (– 8)-flowered, flowers on fleshy nodes, the axis sparsely to moderately covered with trichomes, pedicels 4 – 5 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Bracts persistent, elliptic, acute, striate, outer surface moderately covered with long, white to pale brown trichomes, inner surface glabrous; primary bract c. 4 × 3 mm, 3-lobed; flower bract 4 × 1.5 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracteoles

Bracteoles 5 – 6 × 2 mm, persistent, inserted in pairs at base of calyx, lanceolate, striate, outer surface moderately covered with trichomes, inner surface glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers pale pink to mauve, or white, petals glabrous; calyx tube 4 mm long, lobes narrowly triangular, c. 7 mm long, the two upper lobes fused to c. ⅔ of their length, outer surface moderately covered with trichomes, surface of inner tube glabrous, surface of inner lobes sparsely covered with short, fine, translucent trichomes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard ovate, blade 9 – 12 × 9 – 11 mm, claw c. 3 mm long Keel petals fused along part of their length, blade with slight pocket, 10 – 11 × 3 – 4 mm, claw c. 4 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens diadelphous, 9 + 1, filaments 12 – 13 mm, glabrous, anthers 1 mm long, ovary 2 mm, moderately to densely covered with dark brown hairs, style 8 mm, flattened, wider along the lower half of its length, stigma capitate, penicillate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 1.5 – 3.9 × 0.7 – 0.9 cm, somewhat constricted between seeds, densely covered with long, pale to dark brown trichomes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 2 – 3 per fruit, 5 – 7 × 4 – 5 × 2.5 – 3 mm, dull black, oblong-cylindrical, surface reticulate (foveolate)

Morphology Roots

Roots nodulating.

Distribution

Africa: Ghana, Togo, Benin, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique. Ghana is included here because, although Isert’s specimen is cited as collected in Guinea, this is probably modern-day Ghana since it was referred to as Danish Guinea in Isert’s time and Isert’s African collections were only made in Ghana and Benin (Hepper & Neate1971).

Ecology

Coastal grassland and farmland; alt. 0 – 50 m.

Conservation

Pseudovigna argentea is a common species, occurring in both West and East Africa; and is known from many collections. The species has been collected in farmland and is therefore able to persist in secondary habitats. In view of this, the conservation status is here assessed as Least Concern (LC) (IUCN 2001).

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

Morphology General Habit

Stems several m. long, ridged, densely covered with long ferruginous bristly hairs and shorter hairs as well.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets paler beneath, rhomboid, 2·5–9·5 cm. long, 2·5–10·3 cm. wide, undivided to ± 2–3-lobed, the upper margins often repand-dentate or irregularly toothed, rounded to a shortly acuminate apex, broadly cuneate or rounded at the base, rather sparsely adpressed pilose and puberulous above, densely greyish-silvery silky pilose beneath; petiole 2·3–17·5 cm. long; rhachis 0·8–2·6 cm. long; petiolules 3–4 mm. long; stipules ovate-lanceolate, 5·5–6·5 mm. long, rib-veined.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences 2–8-flowered, covered with dense blackish-brown bristles; rhachis 1–4 cm. long; peduncle 1–4 cm. long; pedicels 4–7 mm. long; bracts ovate-lanceolate, 4 mm. long, rib-veined; bracteoles linear-lanceolate, boat-shaped, 4 mm. long, keeled, ribbed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx covered with dense blackish-brown bristles; tube 3·5–4 mm. long; lobes narrowly lanceolate, 5–10 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard white or pink, 1·3–1·5 cm. long, 1·1–1·4 cm. wide; keel white or pink, tinged blue.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 1·5–3·1 cm. long, 7–9 mm. wide, densely covered with long blackish-brown bristles.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds black, longest dimension 5·5–6·5 mm., shorter dimension 3·5–4 mm., 2–2·5 mm. thick, with a reticulate layer over the testa.

Figures

Fig. 88, p. 597.

Habitat

Grassland; 0–45 m.

Distribution

W. Africa K7 T3 T6 Z

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

Morphology General Habit

Stems creeping along the ground

Morphology General Indumentum

Clothed with long brown hairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers white or pink.