Sophora tomentosa L.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/153759100/153835062

Conservation

LC - least concern

Distribution

Native to Colombia.

Conservation

IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

A shrub usually 1–2.5 m tall, variably more or less tomentose throughout; leaves with 11–17 subopposite or irregularly alternate leaflets, these ovate or elliptic, 2–5 cm long, blunt or slightly refuse at the apex, densely pubescent beneath or sometimes glabrate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes mostly 10–30 cm long, often many-flowered; calyx truncate or obscurely toothed, ca. 7 mm long; standard elliptic, folded, 2–3 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 5–15 cm long, 5–9- seeded, tomentose; seeds rounded-oblong, 7–8 mm long, orange-brown.

Distribution

Grand Cayman. Pantropical.

Ecology

In coastal thickets.

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

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Shrub/Tree

Vernacular

Ambotrimorona, Bois Chapelet, Coast Sophora, Firitsoka, Fotsiavadikaranto, Herbe Chapelet, Kau Ni Yalewa, Kofai, Latapiso, Manganrava, Micar, Moodoomoroonga, Mudumurunga, Pofatu-aoao, Potu-avao, Sea-coast Laburnum, Tsipolahina

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

Morphology General Habit

Shrub 1–3 m. high.

Morphology Branches

Young branches, petioles, leaf-rhachides and under-surface of leaflets, inflorescences and calyces ± densely white or grey puberulous to tomentose; upper surface of leaflets densely puberulous or pubescent when young but glabrescent later.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with petiole and rhachis together 7–25 cm. long and with (4–)5–7(–9) pairs of leaflets; lateral leaflets broadly elliptic to suborbicular, up to 4 cm. long and 3 cm. wide, asymmetrical at the base with the distal side rounded and the proximal side ± cuneate, rounded at the apex; terminal leaflet slightly larger than the lateral ones, equal-sided and ± cuneate at the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers many in terminal racemes up to 25 cm. long; bracts linear, 3–5 mm. long, caducous; pedicels 5–10 mm. long; bracteoles apparently absent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx campanulate, 4–6 mm. long, with 5 shallow teeth up to 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals yellow; standard 14–20 mm. long, 11–14 mm. wide, the limb cuneate and gradually narrowed below to a short broad claw; wings and keel about equalling or slightly shorter than the standard.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary densely ± appressed pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits mostly developing 4–8 seeds.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds subglobose, ± 6–7 mm. long, brownish.

Distribution

As subsp. tomentosa, but with subsp. occidentalis (L.) Brummitt in West Africa, eastern South America and the West Indies

Use

MICAR

Use

Chemical products, Environmental, Medicine, Miscellaneous, Toxins