Vigna ambacensis Welw. ex Baker

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/170424/1313254

Conservation

LC - least concern

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

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

Morphology General Habit

A twiner

Morphology General Indumentum

Grey-pubescent stems

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Bright yellow flowers

Note

Only the upper few flowers of the raceme develop.

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial climbing, or rarely suberect, herb, 0·9–7 m. long.

Morphology Stem

Stems covered with ± spreading often ferruginous hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets 3, oblong or ovate-lanceolate or ovate-oblong to linear-lanceolate, 2·5–15 cm. long, 0·3–5 cm. wide, narrowly rounded to acuminate and apiculate at the apex, rounded and sometimes subhastate at the base, sparsely to densely pubescent on both surfaces; petiole 1·5–7 cm. long; rhachis 0·4–1·7 cm. long; petiolules 1–2 mm. long; stipules ovate-lanceolate, 2–5 mm. long, slightly bilobed at the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary; rhachis 1–4(–8) cm. long, conspicuously glandular; peduncle 1·5–15 cm. long; pedicels 3–5 mm. long; bracteoles subpersistent, ovate-lanceolate, 1·5–5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pubescent; tube 2–3 mm. long; lobes deltoid, 0·6–2 mm. long, the upper pair united to form an entire or slightly bifid lobe.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard white, yellow or brownish outside, often tinged greenish-purple, blue or violet inside or in western Africa entirely yellow, broadly obovate, 1–2·2 cm. long, 1·5–2·5 cm. wide, pubescent or velvety outside with adpressed hairs; wings yellow or white tinged violet at the apex or all mauve or blue; keel yellow, white or purple with the beak neither curved nor twisted.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods linear, compressed, 2·7–6 cm. long, 4–7 mm. wide, pubescent, 4–8-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds greenish or reddish-brown, mottled with darker brown or black, oblong, longest dimension 4–5·5 mm., shorter dimension 2–3·5 mm., 2 mm. thick; aril eccentric, yellowish, 2·3 mm. long, the central prong very short, acute.

Habitat

Grassland, bushland, sometimes by streams and in marshes; 750–1800 m.

Distribution

K5 T1 T4 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2 U3 U4 W. Africa