Rhynchosia ferruginea A.Rich.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Afromontane(upland) bushland and thicket., Afromontane grassland, Lake Victoria regional transition zone; grasslands, Afromontane forest

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Climbing, Herb

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial climbing herb ± 1·5–2 m. long from a woody rootstock.

Morphology Stem

Stems densely covered with pale ferruginous hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets 3, paler beneath, ovate, the laterals slightly oblique, 0·5–4 cm. long, 0·3–3·5 cm. wide, rounded, acute or subacute at the apex, rounded at the base, glabrescent to velvety pubescent above with mostly grey or silvery hairs, velvety beneath with mostly ferruginous hairs on the main nerves and silvery hairs on the spaces between or only sparsely pubescent; venation impressed above, the lamina noticeably bullate in some specimens; petiole 0·2–2·8 cm. long; rhachis 0·1–1 cm. long; petiolules 1–2 mm. long; stipules triangular to narrowly lanceolate, 5–8 mm. long, 1–3·5 mm. wide, densely hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, dense to very lax; rhachis 2·5–11 cm. long; peduncles 1·5–4 cm. long, densely ferruginous pubescent; pedicels 2·5–3 mm. long; bracts deciduous, narrowly lanceolate, 4–5 mm. long, 0·5–3 mm. wide, densely pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx ferruginous pubescent; tube 2·5–3 mm. long; lobes triangular to lanceolate, 2–6 mm. long, the lowest the longest, the upper pair joined for ± half their length or only at their bases.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard dull yellow veined with brown or purple, oblong to oblong-obovate, (0·6–)0·9–1·5 cm. long, 0·5–1·1 cm. wide, glabrous; keel pale yellow, brown or purplish apically.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods oblong-falcate, 1·7–2·3 cm. long, 5·5–6·5 mm. wide, apiculate, often with a faint greenish reticulate pattern, puberulous and glandular and also pilose with longer yellow hairs some of which are glandular-based.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds chestnut with blackish mottling, rounded-reniform, longest dimension 3·8–4 mm., shorter dimension 2·5–3 mm., 1·3–1·8 mm. thick.

Figures

Fig. 109/28, p. 716.

Habitat

Upland or even subalpine grassland and associated evergreen forest patches, grassland with scattered Combretum, bushland, cultivated ground, sometimes in swampy areas; 1140–3000 m.

Distribution

K1 K3 K4 T2 T3 T7 U1 U2 U4