Fabaceae
Rhynchosia

Rhynchosia micrantha Harms

First published in G.W.J.Mildbraed (ed.), Wiss. Erg. Deut. Zentr.-Afr. Exped., Bot. 2: 267 (1911)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Somalia to S. Tropical Africa. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial prostrate or trailing herb, 15–60 cm. long from a woody root-stock.
Morphology Stem
Stems slender, pubescent or glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaflets 3, oblate-rhomboid to ovate, the laterals oblique, 0·8–2·5 cm. long, 0·9–3 cm. wide, rounded at the apex, rounded or broadly cuneate at the base, glabrescent or pubescent above, pubescent on the nerves and gland-dotted beneath; petiole 1–3·5 cm. long; rhachis 3–8 mm. long; petiolules 1 mm. long; stipules small, narrowly triangular, 3 mm. long, 0·5 mm. wide, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, dense; rhachis 0·5–1·5 cm. long; peduncle 1–4 cm. long; pedicels 1·5 mm. long; bracts small, deciduous, lanceolate, 2 mm. long, 0·5 mm. wide, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx pubescent; tube 1 mm. long; lobes narrowly triangular to lanceolate, 2·5–4 mm. long, the upper pair joined for ± two-thirds of their length.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard densely reddish-brown veined outside, yellow inside, oblong-obovate, 5·5 mm. long, 3–3·5 mm. wide, finely puberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods elliptic-oblong, 0·8–1·1 cm. long, 4 mm. wide, narrowed basally, covered with short hairs and also more laxly with much longer yellowish sticky glandular-based bristly hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds brownish with paler marks, rounded-reniform, longest dimension 2·6 mm., shorter dimension 1·8 mm., 1 mm. thick.
Figures
Fig. 109/33, p. 716.
Habitat
Grassland, bushland, abandoned cultivations; 0–900 m.
Distribution
K7 P T3 T4 T6 U2
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian bushland and thicket, Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone; grassland., Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone; bushland and thicket., Lake Victoria regional transition zone; grasslands, Zambezian grassland, Lake Victoria reg
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial prostrate or trailing herb, 15–60 cm long from a woody rootstock.
Morphology Stem
Stems slender, pubescent or glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves Leaflets
Leaflets 3, 0.8–2.5 × 0.9–3 cm, oblate-rhombic to ovate, the laterals oblique, rounded at the apex, rounded or broadly cuneate at the base, glabrescent or pubescent above, pubescent on the nerves and gland-dotted beneath; petiole 1–3.5 cm long; rhachis 3–8 mm long; petiolules 1 mm long; stipules small, 3 × 0.5 mm, narrowly triangular, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, dense; rhachis 0.5–1.5 cm long; peduncle 1–4 cm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; bracts small, deciduous, 2 × 0.5 mm, lanceolate, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx pubescent; tube 1 mm long; lobes 2.5–4 mm long, narrowly triangular to lanceolate, the upper pair joined for ± two-thirds of their length.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard densely reddish-brown veined outside, yellow inside, 5.5 × 3–3.5 mm, oblong-obovate, finely puberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods 8–11 × 4 mm, elliptic-oblong, narrowed basally, covered with short hairs and also more laxly with much longer yellowish sticky glandular-based bristly hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds brownish with paler marks, 2.6 × 1.8 × 1 mm, rounded-reniform.
[FZ]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Prostrate or trailing perennial herb; stems pubescent
Morphology Leaves Leaflets
Leaflets 3, broadly ovate to oblate, 0.6–2.5 x 0.8–3 cm, pubescent on both sides, gland-dotted beneath
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences short and dense; rhachis 0.5–1.5 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx pubescent; tube c. 1 mm long; lobes lanceolate, 2.5–4 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard yellow inside, reddish-brown outside, c. 5.5 mm long, pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod 8–11 x 4 mm, covered with short hairs, long hairs and gland-dots.
Distribution
S2 (NE of Cadale).
Ecology
Altitude range 10–50 m.
Note
First record for Somalia.
[FSOM]

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 Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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