Pterolobium stellatum (Forssk.) Brenan

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

Morphology General Habit

Scrambling or climbing, rarely semi-erect shrub 2–15 m. high.

Morphology Stem

Stems ± puberulous, at least when young, armed with reflexed prickles paired at nodes and often also with scattered ones between the nodes.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves:petiole with rhachis 6–16(–25) cm. long, the latter armed with mostly paired reflexed prickles, straight ascending ones also being often present on the upper side of the rhachis at the insertions of pinnae; pinnae 5–13 pairs; leaflets 7–15(–16, fide F.C.B.) pairs, narrowly oblong or elliptic-oblong, with the terminal ones ± obovate, 4–12 mm. long, 2–4.5(–5) mm. wide, rounded to emarginate at apex, ± puberulous or pubescent to almost glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes 5–13(–18) cm. long, puberulous or shortly pubescent, aggregated into panicles up to ± 35 cm. long and 22 cm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel

Pedicels 3–5(–6) mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers sweetly scented, pale creamy-yellow except for the pale green calyx.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals ± 2–3 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals oblanceolate-oblong, ± 3 mm. long and 1.5 mm. wide, pubescent towards base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamen-filaments 4–5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods brick-red to scarlet, ultimately brown, 3–6 cm. long, thinly pubescent or puberulous to glabrous; wing 2.3–4.5 cm. long, 0.9–1.6 cm. wide at widest point.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds ovoid-ellipsoid, ± 11 mm. long, 6.5 mm. wide, olive.

Figures

Fig. 7, p. 41.

Habitat

Upland dry evergreen forest (? also on edges of upland rain-forest), riverine forest, deciduous woodland, sometimes on termite-mounds in grassland; 850–2290 m.

Distribution

K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 U1 widespread in eastern Africa, from Eritrea and the Sudan Republic southwards to the Transvaal

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Somalia-Masai forest, Afromontane forest, Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket, Afromontane(upland) bushland and thicket.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Climbing/Not climbing, Shrub

Leguminosae, R.K. Brummitt, A.C. Chikuni, J.M. Lock and R.M. Polhill. Flora Zambesiaca 3:2. 2007

Morphology General Habit

A scrambling or climbing shrub up to 20 m high.

Morphology Stem

Stems densely puberulous when young, and armed with downwardly hooked prickles up to 6 mm long in pairs at the insertions of the leaves and occasionally singly elsewhere, the prickles on older stems becoming raised on corky bosses as in Mezoneuron angolense (in photograph of Wild s.n. from Zimbabwe in SRGH).

Morphology Leaves

Leaves: petiole and rachis together 5–17(25) cm long, armed on the lower side with downwardly hooked prickles in pairs at the insertions of the pinnae and occasionally singly between the pinnae, and on the upper side usually also with straight, erect or forwardly pointed prickles singly at the insertions of the pinnae; pinnae (5)7–13 pairs; pinna rachis (1.5)2.5–5(6) cm; leaflets 7–16 pairs per pinna, (4)6–10(12) × 2–3.5(5 in F.T.E.A.), oblong, rounded to slightly emarginate at the apex; lower surface pubescent, upper surface glabrous or sometimes pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers sweetly scented, small, in dense terminal and lateral racemes up to 18 cm long, aggregated into pseudopanicles up to 35 cm long; bracts subulate, falling very early; pedicels 3–5(6) mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 2–3 × 0.75–1.4 mm, usually ± reflexed in flower, pubescent, greenish.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals about equalling the sepals, erect, oblanceolate-oblong, glabrous, cream coloured.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens all exserted, the longer ones almost twice as long as the petals; anthers c.0.5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary densely pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods (including the wing) 3–5(6) cm long, the wing up to 1.7 cm broad, the seed-containing basal part up to 2 × 1 cm, pubescent or at maturity glabrescent, a striking scarlet or wine-red while maturing, ultimately brown; seed 9–11 × 5–6.5 × 3.4 mm, ellipsoid.