Rhynchosia luteola (Hiern) K.Schum.

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

Morphology General Habit

Usually robust sticky climber, often forming a dense tangle several metres long, or erect subshrub 0.3–1 m tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems slender to thick and woody, covered with long sticky yellow bristly often tubercular based hairs and also shorter pubescence and small glands.

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, sometimes pale beneath, 1.9–14.5 × 1.5–13.6 cm, ovate to oblate-rhombic, the laterals usually oblique, acute to acuminate, rounded, truncate or slightly subcordate at the base, pubescent to velvety on both surfaces, densely covered with yellow or red gland dots beneath; petiole 1.5–14 cm long; rhachis 0.5–3 cm long; petiolules 1.5–5 mm long; stipules brown and scarious, 7–18 × 3.5–9 mm, ovate or triangular, veined, pubescent to bristly and often gland-dotted.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary; rhachis 7–23 cm long; peduncle 2–14 cm long; pedicels 1–4 mm long; bracts deciduous, 7–15 × 3–5.5 mm, ovate to lanceolate, usually aristate, pubescent or pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pubescent and usually with long tubercular based glandular yellow hairs; tube 3.5–5 mm long; lobes 3.5–9 mm long, lanceolate or triangular, the lowest usually the longest, the upper pair joined for ± one half to two-thirds of their length.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard cream-coloured to orange with deep red or brown veining outside and often a central purplish mark inside, 14–25 × 8–15 mm, elliptic or obovate, densely covered with long appressed glandular hairs mixed with finer pubescence; wings yellow; keel pale yellow or white tinged green or flowers entirely purplish.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 3–4 × 0.9–1.3 cm, elliptic-oblong to oblong-oblanceolate, aristate, sometimes considerably inflated, mostly narrowed to the base, usually constricted between the seeds, puberulous or velvety to densely long-hairy, rarely glabrescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds dark blackish- or reddish-brown, 4.5–6 × 3.5–5 × 2–3.5 mm, oblong- or rounded-reniform.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian woodland, Zambezian bushland and thicket, Zambezian grassland

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Climbing/Not climbing, Herb/Shrub

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

Morphology General Habit

Usually robust sticky climber, often forming a dense tangle several metres long, or erect subshrub 0·3–1 m. tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems slender to thick and woody, covered with long sticky yellow bristly often tubercular-based hairs and also shorter pubescence and small glands.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets 3, sometimes pale beneath, ovate to oblate-rhomboid, the laterals usually oblique, 1·9–14·5 cm. long, 1·5–13·6 cm. wide, acute to acuminate, rounded, truncate or slightly sub-cordate at the base, pubescent to velvety on both surfaces, densely covered with yellow or red gland-dots beneath; petiole 1·5–14 cm. long; rhachis 0·5–3 cm. long; petiolules 1·5–5 mm. long; stipules brown and scarious, ovate or triangular, 0·7–1·8 cm. long, 3·5–9 mm. wide, veined, pubescent to bristly and often gland-dotted.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary; rhachis 7–23 cm. long; peduncle 2–14 cm. long; pedicels 1–4 mm. long; bracts deciduous, ovate to lanceolate, 0·7–1·5 cm. long, 3–5·5 mm. wide, usually aristate, pubescent or pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pubescent and usually with long tubercular-based glandular yellow hairs; tube 3·5–5 mm. long; lobes lanceolate or triangular, 3·5–9 mm. long, the lowest usually the longest, the upper pair joined for ± one half to two-thirds of their length.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard cream to orange with deep red or brown veining outside and often a central purplish mark inside, elliptic or obovate, 1·4–2·5 cm. long, 0·8–1·5 cm. wide, densely covered with long adpressed glandular hairs mixed with finer pubescence; wings yellow; keel pale yellow or white tinged green or flowers entirely purplish.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods elliptic-oblong to oblong-oblanceolate, 3–4 cm. long, 0·9–1·3 cm. wide, aristate, sometimes considerably inflated, mostly narrowed to the base, usually constricted between the seeds, puberulous or velvety to densely long-hairy, rarely glabrescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds dark blackish- or reddish-brown, oblong- or rounded-reniform, longest dimension 4·5–6 mm., shorter dimension 3·5–5 mm., 2–3·5 mm. thick.

Distribution

As for var. luteola