Fabaceae
Vigna

Vigna frutescens A.Rich.

First published in Tent. Fl. Abyss. 1: 218 (1848)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & S. Africa. It is a scrambling perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial prostrate or climbing herb, 0·5–1·5 m. long, or erect at first and only 7–20 cm. tall when appearing after burns, sometimes flowering before the leaves appear; rootstock a woody tuber often 5 cm. wide.
Morphology Stem
Stems densely ferruginous pubescent, usually velvety, less often glabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaflets 3, ovate, oblong-ovate or rhomboid (rarely hastate) in outline, 1·5–7·5(–9·5) cm. long, 1–4·7 cm. wide, entire to deeply 3-lobed, acute to slightly emarginate and mucronulate at the apex, broadly cuneate or rounded at the base, sparsely to densely velvety pubescent with rather short adpressed tubercular-based hairs or rarely glabrescent; petiole 1–5·5 cm. long; rhachis 2–10 mm. long; petiolules 1 mm. long; stipules oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, 4·5–8 mm. long, slightly prolonged and cordate at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary or terminal, subumbellate, several-flowered; peduncle 1·2–19 cm. long; pedicels 2–4 mm. long; bracteoles subpersistent, ovate-oblong, 1·5–2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers scented.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx practically glabrous to velvety pubescent; tube 3·5–5 mm. long; lobes triangular, 2–10 mm. long, the upper pair united for ± half their length.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard mauve-lilac or whitish, often greyish outside, usually with a yellow basal area inside surrounded by a darker deep purple zone, oblate, 1·5–2·6 cm. long, 1·5–2·8 cm. wide, emarginate, glabrous or velvety outside; wings pale mauve-lilac with very pale tips; keel very pale lilac, the beak short, slightly incurved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigma produced as a subulate beak some 2 mm. beyond the stigma.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods held erect, linear-cylindrical, 6–11 cm. long, 4–5 mm. wide, ± pubescent with short adpressed hairs or almost glabrous, 12–16-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds red-brown with dense black speckling, oblong-ellipsoid, longest dimension 3–5 mm., shorter dimension 2·5–3 mm., 2–2·8 mm. thick; hilum ± central, small; aril not developed.
Distribution
As for subsp. frutescens
[FTEA]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/170436/1313876

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian grassland, Lake Victoria regional transition zone; grasslands, Lake Victoria regional mosaic; bushland and thicket, Lake Victoria regional transition zone; woodland., Somalia-Masai grasslands, Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket, Somalia-
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Climbing/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]

Seed Collecting Guide. RBG Kew (2013-2016)

Morphology General Habit
Perrenial prostrate or climbingherb, 0.5-1.5 m long, or erect at first and only 7-20 cm tall when appearing after burns, sometimes flowering before the leaves appear, rootstock a woody tuber often 5 cm wide
Morphology Stem
stems pubescent to densely velvety
Morphology Leaves
leaflets 3, ovate, oblong-ovate or rhomboid in outline, 1.5-7.5 cm long, 1-4.7 cm wide, entire to deeply 3-lobed, acute to slightly emarginated and mucronulate at the apex, broadly cuneate or rounded at the base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
inflorescence axillary or terminal, subumbellate, several-flowered, peduncle 1.2-19 cm, long, pedicels 2-4 mm long flower flowers scented
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
calyx pubescent to densely velvety
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
standard mauve-lilac or whitish, often greyish outside, usually with a yellow basal area inside surrounded by a darker deep purple zone, wings pale mauve-lilac with very pale tips, keel very pale lilac. fruit pods pubescent to densely velvety, held erect, linear cylindrical, 6-11 cm long, 4-5 mm wide
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
red-brown with dense black speckling, oblong-ellipsoid, longest dimension 3-5 mm, shorter dimension 2.5-3 mm 2-2.8 mm thick.
Ecology
grassland mostly subject to seasonal burning, bushland, woodland and cultivations. altitude500 - 2100 m
Distribution
uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, n. Nigeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Botswana, Angola.
Conservation
Near endangered
Phenology
Flower (august – september), fruit (august - september)
[SCG]

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/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/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

  • Seed Collection Guides

    • Seed Collection Guides
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/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