Fabaceae
Rhynchosia

Rhynchosia tricuspidata Baker f.

First published in Legum. Trop. Africa: 480 (1929)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is South Sudan to S. Tropical Africa. It is a climbing shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect or somewhat scrambling sticky shrub 0.6–1.8 m tall, smelling of balsam.
Morphology Stem
Stems pubescent and, when young, also with dense longer yellow tubercular based glandular hairs.
Morphology Leaves Leaflets
Leaflets 3, paler beneath, 1.3–6 × 0.7–4.3 cm, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, all acute or acuminate or terminal leaflets tricuspidate and laterals ± bicuspidate, all ± rounded at the base, pubescent and obscurely glandular on both surfaces; petiole 0.5–3.7 cm long; rhachis 2–17 mm long; petiolules 2–3.5 mm long; stipules 2–10 × 1–4 mm, lanceolate or ovate, veined, hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary and terminal; rhachis 2–5 cm long; peduncle 7–15 mm long; pedicels 2–3.5 mm long; bracts deciduous, 7–10 × 3.5–8 mm, elliptic.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx pubescent and with yellow tubercular based hairs; tube 4–5 mm long and wide; lobes 0.7–1.4 cm long, lanceolate, the lowest the longest, the upper pair free.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard yellow, veined purple outside, (13)18–25 × 16 mm, obovate, slightly hairy near apex outside or glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods 17–20 × 7 mm, elliptic-oblong, apiculate, puberulous and with dense long yellow tubercular based hairs which are ultimately deciduous and leave a surface with a somewhat blistered appearance.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds dark brown with obscure pale markings, 4.5 × 3.5–5 × 2 mm, elliptic-reniform.
[FZ]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Afromontane grassland
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Climbing/Not climbing, Shrub
[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]

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect or somewhat scrambling shrub 0·6–1·8 m. tall.
Morphology Stem
Stems pubescent, and when young also with dense longer yellow tubercular-based glandular hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaflets 3, paler beneath, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1·3–5 cm. long, 0·7–3·5 cm. wide, all acute or acuminate or terminal leaflets tricuspidate and laterals ± bicuspidate, all ± rounded at the base, pubescent and obscurely glandular on both surfaces; petiole 0·5–3 cm. long; rhachis 0·2–1·4 cm. long; petiolules 2–3·5 mm. long; stipules lanceolate, 2–5 mm. long, 1–2·5 mm. wide, veined, hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary and terminal; rhachis ± 2–5 cm. long; peduncle 0·7–1·5 cm. long; pedicels 2–3·5 mm. long; bracts deciduous, elliptic, 1 cm. long, 3·5 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx pubescent and with yellow tubercular-based hairs; tube 4–5 mm. long and wide; lobes lanceolate, 0·7–1·4 cm. long, the lowest the longest, the upper pair free.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard yellow, veined purple outside, obovate, (1·3–)1·8–2·5 cm. long, 1·6 cm. wide, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods elliptic-oblong, 1·7–2 cm. long, 7 mm. wide, apiculate, puberulous and with dense long yellow tubercular-based hairs, which are ultimately deciduous and leave a surface with a somewhat blistered appearance.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds dark brown with obscure pale markings, elliptic-reniform, longest dimension 4·5 mm., shorter dimension 3·5–5 mm., 2 mm. thick.
[FTEA]

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 Tropical East Africa

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/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