Fabaceae
Rhynchosia

Rhynchosia kilimandscharica Volkens ex Harms

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 54: 389 (1917)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. Central & E. Tropical Africa. It is a scrambling perennial and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial climbing or trailing herb up to 1·5 m. long.
Morphology Stem
Stems pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaflets 3, ovate or rhomboid, 1·2–4·2 cm. long, 1–3·8 cm. wide, acute or somewhat rounded at the apex, rounded at the base, shortly pubescent and gland-dotted on both surfaces; petiole 1–6 cm. long; rhachis 3–8 mm. long; petiolules 2 mm. long; stipules conspicuous, membranous, ovate, 7–10 mm. long, 2–5 mm. wide, acute or obtuse, veined, hairy on both surfaces.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, dense; rhachis 1·5–6 cm. long; peduncle 1·5–16 cm. long; pedicels 1·5–2 mm. long; bracts deciduous, ± ovate, 2 mm. long, 1·5 mm. wide, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx pubescent; tube 1·5–2 mm. long; lobes lanceolate to oblong, 2·5–5 mm. long, the upper pair joined for ± two-thirds of their length.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard yellow, usually with purplish veining, obovate, 7–8 mm. long, 4·5–6 mm. wide, puberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods narrowly oblong, 1–3 cm. long, 4 mm. wide, covered with short hairs and glands and, particularly on the faces, with some long tangled hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds brownish-black, oblong-reniform, longest dimension 3 mm., shorter dimension 2 mm., 1 mm. thick.
Habitat
Bushland, forest edges and grassland, often on lava plains; 1290–2550 m.
Distribution
K3 K4 K6 T2 T6 U2
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Somalia-Masai grasslands, Lake Victoria regional mosaic; bushland and thicket, Lake Victoria regional transition zone; grasslands, Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Climbing/Not climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

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
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    • International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0