Tephrosia aequilata Baker

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

Morphology General Habit

Branching shrub up to 3 m. tall; hairs on stems white or fulvous, of two kinds—(a) short and dense, (b) sparser, weak, spreading, up to 3 mm. long.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets 13–21, oblong, up to 50 by 15 mm., rounded or acute and apiculate at tip, rounded, truncate or cordate at the base, glabrous or sparsely pilose above, densely pubescent or tomentose beneath; midrib impressed above. Leaf-rhachis up to 10 cm. long, including a petiole of 3–10 mm., prolonged 2–8 mm. beyond lateral leaflets; stipules ± persistent, broadly based, ovate-acuminate, up to 13 by 8 mm., tomentose outside, glabrous and striate within.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers purple in dense terminal ± sessile subglobose white or brown tomentose pseudoracemes; bracts large, ovate-acuminate; pedicels up to 9 or 12 mm. long in fruit.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx densely white or brown tomentose; tube ± 3 mm. long; teeth lanceolate-acuminate, with long weak tips, variable in length, up to 10 mm. long, the upper pair about two-fifths united.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard silvery or fulvous silky, 13–17 mm. long, 14–17 mm. wide, cordate at base; keel glabrous or with a few hairs on the margin.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Upper filament lightly attached, a marked callous protuberance 1 mm. above the base; filament-sheath 9–10 mm., free parts 3–5 mm., anthers 0.8 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style sharply bent through 100° at the base, slightly spathulate, shortly pubescent within for most of its length, glabrous on the back, 7–8 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod ascending or spreading, straight, ± 4 cm. long by 6 mm. wide, white or fulvous tomentose; beak central, ± straight.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 3–6, black, ellipsoid, longitudinal, ± 4 by 3 mm.; hilum central, the aril very small, ring-like.

Habitat

Upland grassland, heathland and scrub; 1000–2500 m.; rainfall 800–2000 mm.

Distribution

K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U2

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/19891866/20149720

Conservation

LC - least concern

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

Flora Zambesiaca Leguminosae subfamily Papillionoideae by R.K. Brummitt

Morphology General Indumentum

Young stem densely appressed-pubescent, tomentose or villous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary appressed pubescent; style pubescent; pods (20)24–40 × 5–7 mm, brown-villous or appressed pubescent.

Distribution

Southern Uganda and Kenya to N South Africa.

Ecology

In rocky and grassy places, forest margins and on open mountain slopes in upland areas; up to 2200 m.

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or rarely a small tree, 0.4–5 m high. Shrub or rarely a small tree, 0.4–5 m high.

Morphology Stem

Young stem densely appressed-pubescent, tomentose or villous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with (5)6–10(13) pairs of leaflets; petiole and rachis appressed-pubescent to villous; leaflets up to 52 × 20 mm, elliptic to oblong or oblanceolate, more or less rounded at the base, obtuse to rounded at the apex, more or less mucronate, the margins flat or inrolled towards the lower surface except at the base and apex, the upper surface glabrous, glabrescent or thinly appressed-pubescent with fine delicate hairs appearing almost glistening-silvery under a high-powered lens, the lower surface thinly to densely appressed-pubescent and sometimes subsericeous; stipules 1.5–5(8) mm broad, narrowly triangular to ovate. Leaves with (5)6–10(13) pairs of leaflets; petiole and rachis appressed-pubescent to villous; leaflets up to 52 × 20 mm, elliptic to oblong or oblanceolate, more or less rounded at the base, obtuse to rounded at the apex, more or less mucronate, the margins flat or inrolled towards the lower surface except at the base and apex, the upper surface glabrous, glabrescent or thinly appressed-pubescent with fine delicate hairs appearing almost glistening-silvery under a high-powered lens, the lower surface thinly to densely appressed-pubescent and sometimes subsericeous; stipules 1.5–5(8) mm broad, narrowly triangular to ovate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in dense heads not or scarcely elongating in fruit, usually more or less exceeded by the leaves, with bracts persisting through flowering; bracts 4–10 × 1–4 mm, narrowly triangular to lanceolate, acute; pedicels 2–20 mm, appressed-pubescent to villous. Flowers in dense heads not or scarcely elongating in fruit, usually more or less exceeded by the leaves, with bracts persisting through flowering; bracts 4–10 × 1–4 mm, narrowly triangular to lanceolate, acute; pedicels 2–20 mm, appressed-pubescent to villous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 5–12(14) mm, brown or grey appressed-pubescent to villous, the two upper teeth joined for not more than half their length. Calyx 5–12(14) mm, brown or grey appressed-pubescent to villous, the two upper teeth joined for not more than half their length.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 9–24 mm, purple; standard broadly rounded to emarginate at the apex, cuneate or truncate at the base. Petals 9–24 mm, purple; standard broadly rounded to emarginate at the apex, cuneate or truncate at the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary appressed pubescent; style pubescent; pods (20)24–40 × 5–7 mm, brown-villous or appressed pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 3–5. Seeds 3–5.