Tephrosia uniflora Pers.

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution

Widespread in drier parts of tropical Africa south to N Transvaal; subsp. petrosa (Blatt. & Hall.) Gillett & Ali in Arabia, Pakistan and India

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, sometimes softly woody, up to 1 m tall

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-rhachis c. 2.5–4.5 cm long, including a petiole of 3–8 mm

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets (3–)5–7(–9), oblanceolate to elliptic or obovate, up to 3 x 1.3 cm, glabrous or pubescent above, silvery beneath

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers pink, 2–3 together in the leaf-axils

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pilose, (3–)4–8 mm long with triangular-acuminate lobes, up to 6 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard pubescent, (5–)8–10 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style glabrous, 2.5–3.5 mm long, twisted, penicillate at the tip

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod upcurved towards the tip, (3–)4.5–7 x 0.4 cm, pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds (6–)9–13, c. 2.5 x 2 mm.

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

Morphology General Habit

An undershrub, much-branched from the base, often decumbent

Morphology General Indumentum

Grey-silky

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

White flowers fading to pink

Ecology

In dry waste places.

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

Morphology General Habit

A softly woody, branching, semi-erect perennial, up to 1 m. tall; stems silky pilose with rather spreading hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-rhachis ±2.5 cm. long, including a petiole of 3–8 mm., prolonged 1–3 mm. beyond the lateral leaflets; stipules sublinear, up to 9 mm. long; leaflets 5–7, or rarely 9, oblanceolate or elliptic, acute at the base, acute or rounded at the apex, glabrous or pubescent above, appressed pilose beneath, with about 10 main lateral nerves, the terminal leaflet much larger than the laterals, up to 3 cm. long and 13 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers pink, 2–3 together in the leaf-axils; pedicels up to 4 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pilose; tube ± 1.5 mm. long; teeth triangular-acuminate with filiform tips, up to 6 mm. long, the lowest rather longer than the others, the upper 2 shortly united at the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard pubescent outside, ±10 mm. long including a claw of 2 mm., the blade orbicular; keel glabrous, the claw not above one-third as long as the blade.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Upper filament lightly attached, widened, but not callous, 1 mm. above the base; filament-sheath ± 7 mm., free parts 1–2 mm., anthers ± 0.5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Style 2.5–3.5 mm. long, glabrous, twisted, tapering, only 0.1 mm. wide just below the capitate penicillate stigma.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod upcurved near the tip, ± 6 cm. long, 4 mm. wide, 2–3 mm. thick, hirsute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 9–13, longitudinal, rounded-oblong, lozenge-shaped m cross-section, ± 2.5 × 2 × 1.3 mm.; hilum almost central, hardly arillate.

Figures

Fig. 30, p. 172.

Habitat

Acacia, Commiphora bushland and dry grassland, often in rocky places; 400– 1300 m.; rainfall 200–600 mm.

Distribution

K1 K2 K4 K6 K7 T2 T3 T7 Cape Verde Is. to the Somali Republic, Mozambique, Rhodesia, Angola and N. Transvaalsubsp. petrosa in Arabia, Pakistan and India

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