Vigna radicans Welw. ex Baker

Leguminosae, B. Mackinder, R. Pasquet, R. Polhill and B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:5. 2001

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial trailing or entirely prostrate herb, up to 1.8 m long, or sometimes suberect and short, c. 15 cm tall.

Morphology Stem

Stem densely covered with spreading yellowish or dark brown bristly hairs.

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, even on the first nodes, 3–10 × 1–7 cm, ovate to lanceolate in outline, entire to 3-lobed or pinnatifid (lobes up to 9, the basal ones sometimes bifid at the apex), subacute and mucronulate at the apex, rounded to cuneate at the base, appressed bristly pubescent on both surfaces; tertiary venation closely parallel and at right-angles to the midrib; petioles 2–26 cm long; rhachis 0.5–3 cm long; stipules 4–10 × 1.5–3 mm, lanceolate, multinerved, prolonged and subcordate at the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Peduncle 4–25 cm × 0.5–1 mm, pubescent; rhachis 1–2-noded, internodes 1–2 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flower mauve to purple, 11–18 × 13–20 mm; pedicel c. 1 mm long, not expanding as the pod matures; bracteoles 1.5–6 mm long, linear-lanceolate, usually 1-nerved, rarely multinerved.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx densely covered with white or brown bristly hairs; tube 3–4 mm long; lobes 5–9 mm long, linear-lanceolate, subequal, the upper pair joined for two-thirds of their length.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard with 2 parallel widely spaced appendages; keel without a beak or pocket, not twisted or slightly twisted towards the left.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary 5–9-ovuled.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods erect, 4–5 cm × 4–5 mm, linear-cylindrical, sparsely covered with appressed white or dark brown bristly hairs, with a curved beak.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed 3.5–6.5 × 2.5–3.5 × 2–5 mm; rim aril developed as two parallel lines.