Wajira praecox (Verdc.) Thulin & Lavin

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: threatened. Confidence: confident

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial climber up to ± 3 m. long, flowering in the dry season when quite leafless.

Morphology Stem

Stems sparsely adpressed pubescent when young, later glabrous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets 3, ovate, elliptic or rhomboid, the laterals oblique, 2·4–5·8 cm. long, 1·6–4·8 cm. wide, very shortly bluntly acuminate or obtuse and mucronulate at the apex, ± rounded at the base, adpressed pilose on both surfaces, fairly prominently 3-nerved from the base; petioles 2·2–4·3 cm. long; rhachis 5–11 mm. long; petiolules ± 2 mm. long; stipules oblong-lanceolate, 3–4 mm. long, veined, apparently not appendaged.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in ± sessile to shortly stalked tight close brittle clusters, the rhachis 2–5 cm. long, somewhat thickened and conspicuously scarred; peduncles rarely attaining 1·5 cm. long; pedicels 5 mm. long; bracts and bracteoles deciduous, ovate, ± 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx glabrous; tube 2–5 mm. long; lobes deltoid, 0·5–1·5 mm. long, the upper pair joined to form a low rounded lip, minutely ciliolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard green outside, mauve and white inside or veined with dull purple, transversely oblong, 9 mm. long, 1·3 cm. wide, emarginate; claw very short; callus x-shaped, well marked and boss-like; wings bright rich mauve, greenish-yellow at the base; keel white or greenish, tinged purple, with the beak incurved through 270° so that the angle between it and its claw is 90°.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods linear, 6–10 cm. long, 5·5–6·5 mm. wide, glabrous, often with a pale longitudinal line down the middle of the valves, 4–7-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds dark reddish-brown with black mottling, oblong-reniform, longest dimension 8 mm., shorter dimension 4·5 mm., 3 mm. thick; hilum short; aril not developed.

Habitat

Dry Acacia, Terminalia, Commiphora bushland and semi-desert associations; 375–1000 m.

Distribution

K4 K7 T3 not known elsewhere

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Climbing, Herb