Tephrosia rhodesica Baker f.

First published in Legum. Trop. Africa: 208 (1926)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya to S. Africa. It is a perennial, subshrub or shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Flora Zambesiaca Leguminosae subfamily Papillionoideae by R.K. Brummitt

Morphology General Indumentum
Young stems ± tomentose with usually rusty-brown, occasionally greyish, spreading or ascending or deflexed hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Staminal tube joined above. Staminal tube joined above.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary pubescent; style glabrous, not twisted, with pencillate tip.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods 28–46(55) × 3.5–5.5(6), markedly curved upwards in the distal part, densely pubescent to conspicuously villous (see varieties) with pale or rusty-brown or rarely greyish hairs. Pods 28–46(55) × 3.5–5.5(6), markedly curved upwards in the distal part, densely pubescent to conspicuously villous (see varieties) with pale or rusty-brown or rarely greyish hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds (4)5–7, 4–4.5 × 3–3.5 × 1.5–2, oblongoid, brown to blackish, with a small aril in the middle of one of the longer sides. Seeds (4)5–7, 4–4.5 × 3–3.5 × 1.5–2, oblongoid, brown to blackish, with a small aril in the middle of one of the longer sides.
Morphology General Habit
A usually short-lived perennial, or possibly sometimes annual, 60–160(200) cm high, rather bushy, often woody in the lower parts. A usually short-lived perennial, or possibly sometimes annual, 60–160(200) cm high, rather bushy, often woody in the lower parts.
Morphology Stem
Young stems ± tomentose with usually rusty-brown, occasionally greyish, spreading or ascending or deflexed hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves pinnate with (4)6–11(14) pairs of leaflets; petiole 0.1–1.2(1.5) mm long, petiole and rachis together (2)4–12(16) cm long; leaflets (0.7)1.2–3.2(4.2) × (0.3)0.5–1.2(1.4) cm, oblanceolate or sometimes ± obovate or elliptic, cuneate at the base, rounded or sometimes emarginate at the apex; upper surface rather thinly pubescent or very rarely ± glabrous, lower surface appressed-pubescent; stipules (3)5–9(12) × 0.5–1.5 mm, linear-triangular. Leaves pinnate with (4)6–11(14) pairs of leaflets; petiole 0.1–1.2(1.5) mm long, petiole and rachis together (2)4–12(16) cm long; leaflets (0.7)1.2–3.2(4.2) × (0.3)0.5–1.2(1.4) cm, oblanceolate or sometimes ± obovate or elliptic, cuneate at the base, rounded or sometimes emarginate at the apex; upper surface rather thinly pubescent or very rarely ± glabrous, lower surface appressed-pubescent; stipules (3)5–9(12) × 0.5–1.5 mm, linear-triangular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in fairly lax, terminal (?very rarely axillary) racemes up to 30 cm long; bracts 4–9 × 0.5–1 mm, linear-triangular; pedicels 2–5 mm long. Flowers in fairly lax, terminal (?very rarely axillary) racemes up to 30 cm long; bracts 4–9 × 0.5–1 mm, linear-triangular; pedicels 2–5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 5–9(11) mm long, with spreading greyish hairs; lateral teeth linear-triangular, equalling or up to 3 times as long as the tube; upper teeth connate for ¼–½(⅔) their length. Calyx 5–9(11) mm long, with spreading greyish hairs; lateral teeth linear-triangular, equalling or up to 3 times as long as the tube; upper teeth connate for ¼–½(?) their length.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 8–12(14) mm long, pink or crimson to purple. Petals 8–12(14) mm long, pink or crimson to purple.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary pubescent; style glabrous, not twisted, with pencillate tip.
[FZ]

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 briefly perennial subshrub, 0.5–1.5 m. tall; stems grey or fulvous tomentose.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-rhachis up to 7 cm. long, including a petiole of 2–10 mm., prolonged ± 5 mm. beyond the lateral leaflets; stipules sublinear, up to 10 mm. long; leaflets 11–19, oblong-elliptic, up to 30 by 12 mm., rounded at apex, densely appressed pubescent beneath, with shorter sparser hairs above.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers pink or mauve in fairly dense terminal pseudoracemes and often also in upper leaf-axils; bracts narrowly triangular, persistent; pedicels stiffly tomentose, 3–4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx fulvous pubescent, the hairs up to 1 mm. long; tube ± 2.5 mm. long; lobes triangular, long-acuminate, the lowest 4–6 or rarely 8 mm. long, the upper pair ± 4 mm., one-quarter united.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard tomentose outside, ±11 mm. long, including a claw of 3 mm.; keel glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Upper filament lightly attached, widened but not callous 1.5 mm. above the base; filament-sheath ± 8 mm., free parts 2–2.5 mm., anthers 0.4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style glabrous, linear, not twisted, bent sharply through 90° at the base and then straight, ± 4 mm. long, penicillate within at the tip.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod ascending, spreading or, less often, somewhat deflexed, but not hanging down parallel to the stem, up to 4.5 cm. long, 4.5–5 mm. wide, curved upwards towards the tip, in Flora area fulvous or grey tomentose, the hairs not over 1 mm. long; style-base not deflexed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 4–7, longitudinal, oblong, ± 4.5 mm. long by 2.5 mm. wide, dark, smooth or slightly muricate, the distance between centres about 6 mm.; hilum central, aril minute.
Habitat
Open spots in drier areas on sand or in cultivated areas, in higher rainfall areas on rocky outcrops; 600–1500 m. or rarely in dry areas up to 2100 m.; rainfall 800– 1700 mm.
Distribution
South West Africavars. polystachyoïdes (Bak. f.) Brummitt and evansii (Hutch. & Burtt Davy) Brummitt occur in southern Africa K1 K4 K5 K6 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T7 U1 U3 U4
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian anthropic landscapes., Lake Victoria regional transition zone; grasslands, Zambezian grassland
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub
[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

  • 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

  • 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