Vigna fischeri Harms

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

Morphology General Habit

Twining or trailing perennial herb 1·8–6 m. long.

Morphology Stem

Stems densely covered with spreading ferruginous hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets 3, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 2·8–10 cm. long, 0·75–4·3 cm. wide, acuminate and mucronulate, cuneate to truncate at the base, sometimes slightly lobed or subhastate, hairy on both surfaces; petiole 1·8–7·5 cm. long; rhachis 0·5–1·6 cm. long; petiolules 2–3 mm. long; stipules ovate to linear-lanceolate, 3–8 mm. long, slightly bilobed at the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences several-flowered; rhachis 2–3 cm. long; peduncles relatively long, 6–27 cm. long; pedicels 2–7 mm. long; bracteoles ultimately deciduous, linear-lanceolate, 2·5–4 mm. long, 1-nerved.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx sparsely to densely hairy; tube 2·5–5 mm. long; lateral lobes deltoid, 2·5–5 mm. long; lowest lobe narrower, linear-lanceolate, 5–7 mm. long; upper pair joined to form an acute lip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard yellow, sometimes tinged brown outside, oblate, 1·5–2·2 cm. long, 1·8–2·8 cm. wide, glabrous; wings yellow; keel greenish-yellow, sometimes brownish at the obtuse tip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods linear, compressed, 3–5·5 cm. long, 4–5·5 mm. wide, densely covered with spreading ferruginous hairs, ± 11-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds pinkish-brown or red, often mottled with black, oblong-ellipsoid, compressed, longest dimension 3·3–4·2 mm., shorter dimension 3–3·5 mm., ± 2 mm. thick; aril white, eccentric, fork-shaped with a short broad middle prong or sometimes reduced.

Habitat

Swampy grassland with scattered shrubs, upland grassland with scattered trees, forest edges, old cultivations, etc.; 1000–2250 m.

Distribution

K4 K5 T2 T3 T6 T7 T8