Fabaceae
Rhynchosia

Rhynchosia speciosa Verdc.

First published in Kew Bull. 25: 79 (1971)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya. It grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Subshrub with woody branches.
Morphology Stem
Stems densely covered with tubercular-based glandular hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaflets 3, ovate to ovate-rhomboid, the laterals oblique, 2·5–4·3 cm. long, 1·5–3·4 cm. wide, acuminate or sometimes 3-cuspidate, rounded at the base, hairy and glandular on both surfaces; petiole 1–2·5 cm. long; rhachis 5–7 mm. long; petiolules 2·5–4 mm. long; stipules usually reflexed and subpersistent, ovate to oblong-elliptic, 0·8–1·2 cm. long, 5–7 mm. wide, veined, hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary and terminal, densely covered with white and glandular yellow hairs; rhachis 4–7 cm. long; peduncle 1–2 cm. long; pedicels 1·5–3·5 mm. long; bracts deciduous, elliptic, 1·1 cm. long, 7·5 mm. wide, shortly acuminate, hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx densely covered with white hairs and long yellow glandular-based hairs; tube 4 mm.; lobes lanceolate, 0·9–1·4 cm. long, the lowest the longest, the upper pair joined only at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard yellow, flushed red-brown outside, broadly elliptic-obovate, 2·5 cm. long, 1·8–2 cm. wide, glabrous; wings yellow, probably with a purplish blotch at the apex of the claw; keel yellow tipped purplish.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod not known, but immature ones are densely covered with yellow tubercular-based glandular hairs.
Figures
Fig. 110, p. 730.
Habitat
? Upland dry evergreen forest, in rock crevices; 2700 m.
Distribution
K1 not known elsewhere
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Insufficiently known
Ecology
Africa: Afromontane forest
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub
[ILDIS]

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