Rhynchosia resinosa (Hochst. ex A.Rich.) Baker

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

Morphology General Habit

Robust, often aromatic, mostly woody scrambler or climber 1.8–7.5 m long, or a ± erect shrub 0.6–1.5 m tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems ± sticky, covered with dense short glandular hairs, later glabrescent, reddish and often fissured.

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, paler beneath, 1.5–9 × 1.2–8.5 cm, mostly rhombic or triangular, less often oblate or ovate, the laterals oblique, markedly acuminate, rounded at the base, pubescent and sparsely to very densely gland-dotted on both surfaces; petiole 1.1–5.7 cm long; rhachis 5–18 mm long; petiolules 1–3 mm long; stipules 7.5 × 1.5 mm, lanceolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary and terminal, sometimes branched, glandular and sticky, 3–17 cm long; peduncle 0.5–8 cm long; pedicels 4–11 mm long; bracts deciduous, 7–12 × 3–5 mm, ovate, pubescent and glandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx usually pale, pubescent and with varying amounts of short yellowish bristly hairs, glandular; tube 4–5 × 6 mm, distinctly saccate; lobes 8–17 × 2–4 mm, lanceolate, the lowest the longest, the laterals 6–12 × 2.5–4 mm, the upper pair joined at the base or for up to half their length.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard yellow, often veined or flushed outside with reddish-purple, 11–16 × 9–11 mm, elliptic, pubescent and glandular on the upper half outside; wings yellow; keel pale yellow or cream-coloured.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod straw-coloured with pale brown reticulation, enclosed in calyx, 15 × 4–4.5 mm, oblong, with short and long whitish hairs and also glands.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds dark reddish-brown mottled with black, 4.5 × 2.5–3 × 2 mm, narrowly oblong or oblong-reniform.

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

Morphology General Habit

Robust mostly woody scrambler 1·8–7·5 m. long or ± erect shrub 0·6–1·5 m. tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems covered with dense short glandular hairs, later glabrescent, reddish and often fissured.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets 3, paler beneath, mostly rhomboid or triangular, less often oblate or ovate, the laterals oblique, 1·5–7·5 cm. long, 1·2–7·3 cm. wide, markedly acuminate, rounded at the base, pubescent and sparsely to very densely gland-dotted on both surfaces; petiole 1·1–5·7 cm. long; rhachis 0·5–1·8 cm. long; petiolules 1–3 mm. long; stipules lanceolate, 7·5 mm. long, 1·5 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary and terminal, sometimes branched, glandular and sticky, 3–17 cm. long; peduncle 0·5–8 cm. long; pedicels 4–8 mm. long; bracts deciduous, ovate, 0·7–1·2 cm. long, 3–5 mm. wide, pubescent and glandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx usually pale, pubescent and with varying amounts of short yellowish bristly hairs, glandular; tube distinctly saccate, 4 mm. long; lobes lanceolate, the lowest the longest, 0·8–1·7 cm. long, 2–3·5 mm. wide, the laterals 0·6–1·2 cm. long, the upper pair joined at the base or for up to half their length.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard yellow, often veined or flushed outside with reddish-purple, elliptic, 1·1–1·6 cm. long, 0·9–1·1 cm. wide, pubescent and glandular on the upper half outside; wings yellow; keel pale yellow or cream.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod straw-coloured with pale brown reticulation, oblong, ± 1·5 cm. long, 4–4·5 mm. wide, with short and long whitish hairs and also glands.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds dark reddish-brown mottled with black, narrowly oblong or oblong-reniform, longest dimension 4·5 mm., shorter dimension 2·5–3 mm., 2 mm. thick.

Habitat

Ravine forest, bushland, grassland with scattered trees, thicket and scrub, sometimes on termite mounds, also in Brachystegia woodland and cultivations; 500 – 2250 m.

Distribution

K2 K3 K5 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2 U3 widespread in tropical Africa from West Africa, Sudan and Ethiopia to the Transvaal and Angola

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Climbing/Not climbing, Herb/Shrub

Papilionaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit

Subscandent viscid perennial

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Yellow flowers