Vigna parkeri Baker

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial climbing or prostrate herb, sometimes forming mats, 0·1–2 m. long; main rootstock rather slender but tough; stems slender, often rooting at the nodes, sparsely to rather densely covered with mostly spreading hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets 3, round, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 1·8–8 cm. long, 0·8–5·4 cm. wide, rounded to acuminate at the apex, rounded to subacute at the base, pubescent on both faces, margins densely ciliate; petiole 1–8·5 cm. long; rhachis 2·5–10(–14) mm. long; petiolules 2(–3·5) mm. long; stipules persistent, lanceolate, 2·5–8 mm. long, prolonged below the point of insertion and bilobed at the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, 2–5(–10)-flowered; rhachis 0·5–2·5 cm. long, glandular-nodular; peduncle 2–13 cm. long; pedicels 1–3 mm. long; bracts and bracteoles persistent, lanceolate, 1–2 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx sparsely pubescent; tube 1·5–2 mm. long; lobes deltoid, ovate or lanceolate, 1–1·5 mm. long, the upper pair joined to form a ± rounded lobe.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard blue turning purple-blue or yellow or white, usually paler at the base, oblate, 5–8·5(–12) mm. long, 5–8(–10) mm. wide, glabrous; wings blue, purple at the tips or yellow; keel greenish with purple tip or yellowish, the beak not incurved.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods linear-oblong, compressed, (0·9–)1·3–2(–3) cm. long, 4·5–5·5 mm. wide, pubescent or glabrescent, 2–5-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds grey to brown with black mottling, oblong-ovoid, longest dimension 3–4 mm., shorter dimension 2–3 mm., 2 mm. thick; aril mostly well developed, whitish, mostly eccentric, or in some coastal specimens reduced to 2 ridges.