Fabaceae
Tephrosia

Tephrosia lupinifolia DC.

First published in Prodr. 2: 255 (1825)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & S. Africa. It is an annual or perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Flora Zambesiaca Leguminosae subfamily Papillionoideae by R.K. Brummitt

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in aerial terminal racemes up to 15(25) cm long, and also in shorter, geotropic, whitish, subterranean racemes (see note below); aerial inflorescences with lanceolate-acuminate bracts 2–4 × 1 mm, and pedicels 3–7 mm long. Flowers in aerial terminal racemes up to 15(25) cm long, and also in shorter, geotropic, whitish, subterranean racemes (see note below); aerial inflorescences with lanceolate-acuminate bracts 2–4 × 1 mm, and pedicels 3–7 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 3–4(5) mm long, appressed or spreading-pubescent, with the teeth subequal and about equalling the tube, the 2 upper ones joined for ? to ½ their length. Calyx 3–4(5) mm long, appressed or spreading-pubescent, with the teeth subequal and about equalling the tube, the 2 upper ones joined for ⅓ to ½ their length.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals pink to purple, 5–9 mm long; standard limb subtruncate to subcuneate; keel considerably shorter than wing petals. Petals pink to purple, 5–9 mm long; standard limb subtruncate to subcuneate; keel considerably shorter than wing petals.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamen tube 6–7 mm. Stamen tube 6–7 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary pubescent; style glabrous, subcapitate, caducous; aerial pods 22–35 × 3–4 mm, linear-oblong, pubescent, brownish, (4)5–7-seeded; subterranean pods 7–10 × 3–4 mm, pubescent, whitish, 1(2)-seeded.
Distribution
Also in West Africa (Senegal and N Nigeria), Congo, Angola, Namibia and South Africa.
Ecology
In grassy and open places, especially on sandy ground; 480–1400 m.
Morphology General Habit
Perennial with prostrate branches up to 100 cm long arising from a woody vertical stock, often with subterranean inflorescences. Perennial with prostrate branches up to 100 cm long arising from a woody vertical stock, often with subterranean inflorescences.
Morphology Stem
Stems puberulous to densely spreading-pubescent. Stems puberulous to densely spreading-pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves digitate with (1)3–7 leaflets and a pair of stipellae (very rarely an occasional leaf produced with a short rachis between a lower pair of leaflets and 3 digitate terminal leaflets); petiole 3–100(130) mm long (see note below), variously pubescent; leaflets (25)32–70(95) × (3)5–15 mm, obovate to linear, from 2.5 to 16 times as long as broad, rounded to subacute at the apex, the upper surface glabrous or very rarely appressed-pubescent, the lower surface appressed or spreading-pubescent; stipellae 2–5 mm long, subulate; stipules 3–5(7) × 1–1.5 mm, narrowly triangular. Leaves digitate with (1)3–7 leaflets and a pair of stipellae (very rarely an occasional leaf produced with a short rachis between a lower pair of leaflets and 3 digitate terminal leaflets); petiole 3–100(130) mm long (see note below), variously pubescent; leaflets (25)32–70(95) × (3)5–15 mm, obovate to linear, from 2.5 to 16 times as long as broad, rounded to subacute at the apex, the upper surface glabrous or very rarely appressed-pubescent, the lower surface appressed or spreading-pubescent; stipellae 2–5 mm long, subulate; stipules 3–5(7) × 1–1.5 mm, narrowly triangular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary pubescent; style glabrous, subcapitate, caducous; aerial pods 22–35 × 3–4 mm, linear-oblong, pubescent, brownish, (4)5–7-seeded; subterranean pods 7–10 × 3–4 mm, pubescent, whitish, 1(2)-seeded.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Wide-climbing, slender, perennial herb
Morphology Roots
Tuberous roots
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Pink flowers
Ecology
In sandy places.
[FWTA]

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

Morphology General Habit
An annual or perennial, spreading, pubescent herb, the hairs on the stems, petioles and leaflet-midribs usually yellowish.
Morphology Leaves
Readily distinguished from all other East African species of Tephrosia by the palmate 3–5(–7)-foliolate leaves.
Morphology Leaves Petiole
Petiole 2–7 cm. long with a pair of subulate “stipellae” 2–5 mm. long at the tip; leaflets linear-elliptic or linear-oblanceolate, up to 6 cm. long and 1.5 cm. wide, softly pubescent beneath.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Normal flowers in pubescent terminal or leaf-opposed pseudoracemes up to 25 cm. long, sometimes also in upper leaf-axils; bracts rather persistent, 1–2 mm. long; pedicels 3–4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx ± 5 mm. long; lobes acute, rather longer than the tube.
Morphology General Indumentum
Hairs on calyx and standard white.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla pink.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filament-sheath 6–7 mm. long, the vexillary filament attached to the rest for most of its length.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Style 1.6 mm. long, glabrous, tapering, not twisted; stigma capitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod up to 37 mm. long and 5 mm. wide, sharply down-curved at the tip, shortly pubescent, 5–8-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds longitudinal, yellowish, mottled, suboblong, ± 4 × 2.5 × 1.6 mm.; hilum nearly central; aril absent.
Note
In addition to the normal inflorescences, shorter axillary pseudoracemes are sometimes produced near the base of the stem, which push underground in sandy soil and bear small pale cleistogamous flowers and short 1–2-seeded pods.
Figures
Fig. 29.
Habitat
Open sandy places; 750–800 m.; rainfall 900–1000 mm.
Distribution
T4 Senegal to Sudan and Congo, south to the Orange R.
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

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

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Insufficiently known
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian woodland
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

Uses

Use
Medicine, Toxins
[ILDIS]

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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com 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