Wajira grahamiana (Wight & Arn.) Thulin & Lavin

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution

Widespread in tropical Africa, also in Saudi Arabia and southern Asia.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial trailing or twining herb, rarely slightly woody; stems subglabrous or sparsely pubescent with retrorse hairs

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets linear-lanceolate to ovate, 1.2–9 x 0.3–6.5 cm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, with ± obscure venation not forming a raised reticulum

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences ± lax; rhachis 1.5–20 cm long, including up to 14 cm long peduncle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx glabrous or almost so; tube 2–3 mm long; lobes triangular, up to 3 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard pale purple inside, dull purple or greenish outside, 0.9–1.6 cm long; keel with the beak incurved through almost a circle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary mostly 10–16-ovulate; style with rigid curved upper part laterally flattened and with unbranched hairs on the inner edge of the upper c. 3 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 50–140 x 3–4 mm, almost straight to upcurved at the apex, glabrous, 8–15-seeded

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds with hilum c. 1–1.5 mm long.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Morphology General Habit

Annual/Perennial, Climbing, Herb

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial trailing or twining herb, up to 3 m long, from a very thick rootstock up to 18 × 2–3 cm.

Morphology Stem

Stem slender, glabrous or sparsely pubescent.

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, 1.5–9 × 0.3–6.5 cm, linear-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, ovate, oblong or rhombic, acute, acuminate or rounded and mucronulate at the apex, cuneate to rounded at the base, glabrous or very sparsely hairy particularly along the margins; petiole 1–5 cm long; rhachis 0.3–1.2 cm long; stipules persistent, 2–3 × 1.5–2 mm, ovate-lanceolate or triangular, not produced below the base, multinerved.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Peduncle 3.5–14 cm × 0.8–1.2 mm, glabrous; rhachis 1.5–12 cm long, 5–10-noded, internodes 10–15 mm long, up to 25 mm for the lowest.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flower pinkish-mauve, 11–17 mm long; pedicel 2–5 mm long, slightly expanding as the pod matures; bracteoles persistent, c. 1.5 × 0.8 mm, 3-nerved.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx glabrous; tube 2–3 mm long; lobes 2–3 mm long, the lower almost twice as long as the laterals, the upper pair united into a truncate, bluntly acuminate or bifid lip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard symmetrical with two central appendages; keel almost symmetrical, with a beak c. 1.5 cm long incurved through almost a circle (c. 330°).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollen

Pollen exine not reticulated.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 11–21-ovuled; style tip not extended into a beak beyond the stigma.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 8–14 cm × 3–4 mm, linear, flattened, glabrous, margined with raised sutures, with a straight beak.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed 3–6.5 × 2–2.5 × 1–1.5 mm; hilum 1 mm long, central; without an aril.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/170451/1314249

Conservation

LC - least concern

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

Morphology Stem

Stem slender

Morphology General Indumentum

Sparsely appressed-pubescent

Morphology Leaves

Older leaflets glabrous and with translucent venation

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers purplish.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian grassland, Zambezian woodland, Somalia-Masai grasslands, Lake Victoria regional transition zone; grasslands, Somalia-Masai woodland, Lake Victoria regional transition zone; woodland., Sudanian grasslands, Sudanian woodland

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Climbing/Not climbing, Herb

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial trailing or twining herb, up to 1·2 m. long, from a very thick rootstock 18 cm. long and 2–3 cm. wide.

Morphology Stem

Stems slender, numerous, glabrous or sparsely pubescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets 3, linear-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, ovate, oblong or rhombic, 1·5–6·8(–8·8) cm. long, 0·3–2·5(–6·2) cm. wide, acute, acuminate or rounded and mucronulate at the apex, cuneate to rounded at the base, glabrous or very sparsely hairy particularly along the margins; venation not or scarcely raised but transparent and often drying a dark colour; petiole 1–5 cm. long; rhachis 0·35–1·2 cm. long; petiolules 1–2 mm. long; stipules persistent, ovate-lanceolate or triangular, 2–3 mm. long, not produced below the base, ribbed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes lax; rhachis 1·5–7 cm. long; peduncle 3·5–14 cm. long; pedicels 2–5 mm. long; bracts deciduous, ovate-lanceolate, 1–1·5 mm. long, veined; bracteoles similar but persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx glabrous; tube 2–3 mm. long; lobes triangular, the lowest the longest, 2·5 mm. long, the upper pair united into a truncate, bluntly acuminate or bifid lip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard usually pinkish-mauve inside, green at the base and outside, oblate, 0·9–1·3 cm. long, 1–1·5 cm. wide, emarginate at the apex, glabrous; wings vinaceous; keel white basally, the beak mauve, incurved through almost a circle (± 330°).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods linear-cylindrical, 4·8–11 (–14) cm. long, 2–4 mm. wide, margined, curved at the apex, glabrous, 8–15-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds dark crimson-brown or orange-brown speckled black, oblong, longest dimension 3–6·5 mm., shorter 2–2·5 mm., thickness 1–1·5 mm.; hilum minute, oblong, with a minute funicle-remnant persisting.

Figures

Fig. 97.

Habitat

Grassland subjected to seasonal burning, bushland, woodland and forest; often on black volcanic soil; 0–2100 m.

Distribution

K2 K3 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1