Trifolium polystachyum Fresen.

First published in Flora 22: 50 (1839)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Eritrea to S. Tropical Africa. It is an annual or perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Stems glabrous below, sparsely pilose above, up to 3 mm. thick, up to 80 cm. tall, often creeping and rooting at the nodes near the base.
Morphology Leaves
Stipular sheath up to 2 cm. long, free parts triangular, ± 5 mm. long, ending in fine points; leaflets elliptic or oblanceolate, rounded or acute at the apex, up to 3 cm. long and 7 mm. wide; main nerves 12–15 on each side, ± straight, at ± 20° to the midrib.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences oblong, many-flowered, the flowering part up to 35 mm. long by 15 mm. wide; peduncle up to 7 cm. long, pilose; bracts narrow, 0·5–1 mm. long; pedicel pilose, ± 1 mm. long, ascending in fruit.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx pilose, the tube ± 2 mm. long, 11-nerved; teeth subulate, the 2 upper ± 3 mm., the 3 lower ± 4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard oblong-oblanceolate, ± 8 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5–6 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary substipitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod glabrous, ± 2·8 by 1·6 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 1–2, yellow, mottled, ± 1·6 by 1 mm.; hilum lateral.
Habitat
Swampy grassland and forest margins; 1800–2500 m.; rainfall ± 1100 mm.
Distribution
K2 K3 var. psoraleoïdes Hiern in southern Congo, Zambia and Angola
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Afromontane grassland
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, 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]

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

  • 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