Rhynchosia holosericea Schinz

Leguminosae, B. Mackinder, R. Pasquet, R. Polhill and B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:5. 2001

Morphology General Habit

Trailing herb; stems very pale, up to 60 cm long, finely pubescent with short hairs and with longer sticky yellow glandular-based hairs.

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, 1–4 × 1–4.5 cm, the terminal one oblate, the laterals obliquely rhombic-ovate, rounded to very slightly acute at the apex, often very shortly mucronate, appressed pubescent on both surfaces and with a few scattered gland based hairs, sometimes slightly bullate or venation impressed above, at least near the margins, save in a few Namibian specimens, prominent beneath and often tinged reddish when dry; petiole 1.5–4 cm long and rhachis 5–15 mm long, both hairy as in the stems; stipules 4 × 2.5 mm, narrowly ovate, pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences held erect, axillary and terminal, 7–19 cm long, 3–12-flowered; pedicels c. 1 mm long; bracts resembling the stipules.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pubescent and with longer glandular-based hairs; tube c. 1 mm long; lobes 4–7 × 1–2 mm, lanceolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard yellow with a few streaks of red or white and green, 7–8 × 5.5–6 mm, obovate, glabrous, with claw c. 2 mm long; keel dark near the tip at least when dry.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods pale brown, 2–5 × 1 cm, obovate-oblong, finely puberulous and with scattered yellow glandular-based hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds shiny, purplish, 5–6.3 × 4–4.2 × 1.8 mm, compressed, ellipsoid.

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