Sesbania quadrata J.B.Gillett

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Somalia-Masai freshwater swamp and aquatic vegetation, Lake Victoria regional mosaic; freshwater swamp and aquatic vegetation

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Herb

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

Morphology General Habit

Softly woody herb, 1–3 m tall; stem glabrous

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-rhachis up to 20 cm long, usually minutely prickly

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 12–60, linear-oblong, up to 20 x 4 mm, glabrous or sparsely pilose at the margins

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes 5–12-flowered; rhachis 5–14 cm long including a 2–8 cm long peduncle which is often minutely prickly

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx c. 5 mm long; lobes broad, slightly acuminate, 1 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Blade of standard 15–18 x 12–14 mm; claw 3.5–4.5 mm long; appendages with free tips 1.5–2 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments

Filament-sheath 13–16(–18) mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style glabrous, 4 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 10–18 x 0.25–0.3 cm, as thick at the margin as at the centre, 30–50-seeded.

Distribution

N1; Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi

Ecology

Altitude range 450–1580 m.

Vernacular

Dirjal, lebi-yer (Somali).

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual softly woody herb, 1–3 m. tall, the lateral branches not again branched; stems glabrous.

Morphology Leaves

Stipules linear-lanceolate, up to 8 mm. long, ± erect, sparsely pilose, caducous; leaf-rhachis usually minutely aculeate, sparsely pilose at its base and at the bases of the leaflets; leaflets in 6–30 pairs, up to 20 mm. long and 4 mm. wide, glabrous or sparsely pilose at the margins when young.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes 5–12-flowered, glabrous or very sparsely pilose when young; rhachis 5–14 cm. long, including a 2–8 cm. long peduncle which is often minutely aculeate; pedicels up to 12 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx glabrous, except for the margin; receptacle 1.5 mm., tube 3.5 mm., teeth slightly acuminate, 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Blade of standard golden within, pale yellow and purple-flecked outside, widest above the middle, 15–18 mm. long, 12–14 mm. wide; basal appendages with narrowly triangular very slender free tips, 1.5–2 mm. long; claw 3.5–4.5 mm. long; blade of wing golden yellow, 14–18 mm. long, 4 mm. wide, hooked at the base; claw 4–4.5 mm.; blade of keel pale yellow, 9.5–12 mm. long, 3.5 mm. wide at the base and 5 mm. near the apex; basal tooth ± 1 mm. long, forming an angle of 0–20° with the 7.5–8.5 mm. long claw.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filament-sheath (12–)13–16(–18) mm., free parts 3–5 mm., anthers 0.9 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary glabrous, tetragonous, 30–50-ovulate; style glabrous, 4 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod usually slightly curved, dark-spotted between the seeds, hardly torulose when mature, 10–18 cm. long, 2.5–3 mm. wide, ± 1.9 mm. thick at the sutures and no more at the centre, thus oblong in cross-section, slightly grooved down the middle; septa 5–5.5 mm. apart.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds green, densely and minutely purple-spotted, 3–3.5 × 1.5–2 × ± 1.6 mm.; hilum 0.3 mm. long.

Figures

Fig. 51/1–10, p. 346.

Habitat

Temporarily flooded places; 200–1600 m.; rainfall 500–1000 mm.

Distribution

NW. Somali Republic, Harar Province of Ethiopia K1 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T7 U1