Tephrosia reptans Baker

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

Morphology General Habit

Prostrate or weakly ascending perennial; hairs on stems white or yellowish.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-rhachis up to 14 cm. long, including a petiole of 3–30 mm., prolonged up to 3 mm. beyond lateral leaflets; stipules narrowly triangular-attenuate, often reflexed, up to 12 mm. long; leaflets 5–19, narrowly elliptic-oblong, up to 5 cm. long and 1 cm. wide, rather attenuate at base, rounded and apiculate at tip, pubescent beneath, more sparsely so above; chief nerves 6–7 on each side, each one becoming very thin at the point on the margin where it fuses with the one above it.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Pseudoracemes terminal, rather lax, usually shorter than the peduncle, flowers never in leaf-axils; pedicels up to 5 mm. long; bracts narrowly triangular-attenuate, rather persistent, up to 8 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx white pubescent; tube ± 2 mm. long; teeth triangular-attenuate with subulate tips, the lowest ± 3.5 mm., lateral 1.5–3 mm., upper pair 1.5–2 mm. long, one-quarter united, connivent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard greenish and golden pubescent outside, purple within, 14–16 by 11 mm.; keel glabrous, purple, whitish below.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Upper filament lightly attached, dilated 1 mm. above the base; filament-sheath 12–13 mm., free parts 2–3 mm., anthers 0.8 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style pubescent, bent sharply up through 80° at the base, ± 4 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 6–7.5 cm. long by 4–5 mm. wide, slightly upturned towards the tip, minutely pubescent; style-base straight, or nearly so; false septa oblique.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 13–19, marbled, almost smooth, angular, longitudinal, more or less rhomboidal, ± 2.5 × 2.5 × 1.5 mm.; hilum one-third along the side, the aril minute, elliptical.

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 Habit

Annual or short-lived perennial with the rootstock often becoming somewhat woody, with several prostrate or decumbent-ascending, straggling, branched stems up to 1 m or more long or (var. microfoliata) with the main stem ± erect with usually decumbent branches from near the base. Annual or short-lived perennial with the rootstock often becoming somewhat woody, with several prostrate or decumbent-ascending, straggling, branched stems up to 1 m or more long or (var. microfoliata) with the main stem ± erect with usually decumbent branches from near the base.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with 4–9 pairs of leaflets; petiole 0.2–2.4 (4.4 on occasional leaves) mm long, petiole and rachis together 4–11(13) cm long, pubescent as on the stem; leaflets (1)1.5–4(5.5) × (0.2)0.5–1(1.3) cm, oblanceolate to elliptic-oblong or rarely linear-elliptic or linear-oblong, rounded to subcuneate at the base, rounded to truncate or emarginate at the apex, mucronate; upper surface shortly pubescent, lower surface rather shortly appressed or irregularly pubescent; stipules 4–13(16) mm long, linear to linear-triangular, ± persistent. Leaves with 4–9 pairs of leaflets; petiole 0.2–2.4 (4.4 on occasional leaves) mm long, petiole and rachis together 4–11(13) cm long, pubescent as on the stem; leaflets (1)1.5–4(5.5) × (0.2)0.5–1(1.3) cm, oblanceolate to elliptic-oblong or rarely linear-elliptic or linear-oblong, rounded to subcuneate at the base, rounded to truncate or emarginate at the apex, mucronate; upper surface shortly pubescent, lower surface rather shortly appressed or irregularly pubescent; stipules 4–13(16) mm long, linear to linear-triangular, ± persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in terminal and axillary, long-peduncled racemes (4)7–22(30) cm long; bracts 3–7 × 0.2–0.6 mm, linear-triangular; pedicels 2–4(6) mm long. Flowers in terminal and axillary, long-peduncled racemes (4)7–22(30) cm long; bracts 3–7 × 0.2–0.6 mm, linear-triangular; pedicels 2–4(6) mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx (3)4–7(8) mm long, shortly spreading (or appressed in var. arenicola and var. microfoliata) brown or grey pubescent; two upper teeth connate for ?–½ length, all teeth long-acute and ± filiform towards the apex. Calyx (3)4–7(8) mm long, shortly spreading (or appressed in var. >i>arenicola and var. >i>microfoliata) brown or grey pubescent; two upper teeth connate for ?–½ length, all teeth long-acute and ± filiform towards the apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals pink to purple or blue, the keel pale; standard 12–17 mm long, the other petals somewhat shorter. Petals pink to purple or blue, the keel pale; standard 12–17 mm long, the other petals somewhat shorter.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary shortly pubescent; style pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods (38)50–65(76) × 4–5 mm, puberulent to very shortly pubescent with irregular to ± parallel hairs, straw-coloured to brown. Pods (38)50–65(76) × 4–5 mm, puberulent to very shortly pubescent with irregular to ± parallel hairs, straw-coloured to brown.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds (10)14–16(18). Seeds (10)14–16(18).

Morphology Stem

Stems with conspicuous, brown, spreading hairs up to c.1 mm long, or (var. >i>arenicola, var.>i> microfoliata) appressed-pubescent to glabrous. Stems with conspicuous, brown, spreading hairs up to c.1 mm long, or (var. arenicola, var. microfoliata) appressed-pubescent to glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamen tube joined above. Stamen tube joined above.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary shortly pubescent; style pubescent.