Rhynchosia braunii Harms

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

Morphology General Habit

Climbing or scrambling almost certainly perennial herb, at least 0·5 m. long and doubtless considerably longer.

Morphology Stem

Stems somewhat ridged, covered with a dense velvety indumentum of mixed long and short hairs but not glandular.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets 3, paler beneath, the terminal rhomboid, the laterals obliquely ovate, 2·5–5 cm. long, 2–4 cm. wide, bluntly acute at the apex, narrowed to a shortly rounded or truncate base, adpressed pubescent above, densely velvety beneath, particularly on the venation, but not so much as to obscure the leaf-surf ace entirely, the smaller veinlets and the small rather sparse gland-dots being visible; petiole 1·5–3 cm. long; rhachis ± 8 mm. long; petiolules 1·5–2·5 mm. long; stipules ovate-oblong, 4–7 mm. long, 2·5 mm. wide, reflexed to reveal the glabrous inner side, veined, hairy outside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence fairly dense; rhachis 7–10 cm. long, usually with a lateral branch; peduncle 4–7 cm. long; pedicels short, ± 2 mm. long; bracts soon deciduous, 6–7 mm. long, 3 mm. wide, hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx velvety pubescent, the gland-dots scarcely visible beneath; tube 3·5–4 mm. long; lowest lobe conspicuously the longest, linear-lanceolate, 0·8–1·2 cm. long, ± 2·5 mm. wide; lateral lobes linear-triangular, 5–6 mm. long, 1·5 mm. wide; upper pair of lobes joined for ± half their length.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard colour not known, probably yellow with red veins, shape not known, ± 1·5 cm. long, densely pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Young pods oblong, 2–3 cm. long, 8 mm. wide, aristate, densely covered with short hairs and with long straw-coloured or whitish hairs 2–3 mm. long, but not glandular.

Habitat

Not known; probably under 50 m.

Distribution

T6 not known elsewhere

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: threatened. Confidence: confident

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/179270/1573421

Conservation

CR - critically endangered