Tephrosia elegans Schumach.

First published in Beskr. Guin. Pl.: 376 (1827)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical Africa to Namibia. It is an annual, perennial or subshrub and 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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect annual or short-lived perennial, with a taproot, up to 1 m. tall.
Morphology Stem
Stems densely silvery or fulvous, the hairs appressed, rather long.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-rhachis up to 2.5 cm. long, including a petiole of 3–5 mm., prolonged 3–6 mm. beyond the lateral leaflets; stipules narrowly triangular, up to 7 mm. long and 1.5 mm. wide at the base; leaflets 1–5, usually 3, cuneate, oblong or oblanceolate, up to 6 cm. long and 1.5 cm. wide, rounded or emarginate with a deflexed mucro at the apex, glabrous above, densely silvery pubescent beneath, the prominent midrib fulvous; main lateral nerves 11–12.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers yellow, 2–3 together in the leaf-axils; pedicels ± 1 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx densely silvery outside, fulvous at the margins and within; tube ± 2 mm. long; lobes lanceolate, subequal, 5–6 mm. long, the 2 upper connate for 0.5 mm. only.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard densely silvery outside, ± 7 mm. long, including a claw of 2 mm.; keel glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Upper filament lightly attached, tapering slowly from a slight expansion 0.5 mm. above the base; filament-sheath ± 4 mm., free parts 1–2 mm., anthers 0.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary ± 4 mm. long; style linear, twisted and curved, glabrous except for a few hairs at the widened apex, ± 3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod up to 5 cm. long, ± 6 mm. wide, densely silvery pubescent, brown at the sutures.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 4–5, dark brown, longitudinal, ± 4.5 × 2.2 × 1.2 mm.; hilum near one end; aril large, dark, wedge-shaped.
Habitat
Grassland, especially on shallow soil; 100–1200 m.; rainfall 1200–1500 mm.
Distribution
Portuguese Guinea to Sudan, Congo, Angola, Zambia T6 U1 U2 U3 U4
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian woodland, Zambezian grassland, Sudanian grasslands
Morphology General Habit
Annual, Not climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

Papilionaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit
An erect shrubby herb 2–5 ft. high
Morphology Leaves
Leaves silvery beneath and green above
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers yellow
Ecology
Usually in moist grassland.
[FWTA]

Uses

Use
Toxins
[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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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