Grona stolzii (Schindl.) H.Ohashi & K.Ohashi

Leguminosae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:6. 2000

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb 20–75 cm tall, with several stems from a woody rootstock.

Morphology Stem

Stems angular, uncinulate-pubescent and sparsely hairy with longer hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets 10–46 × 4–17 mm, elliptic-oblong or oblong, rounded to cuneate at the base, rounded and mucronulate at the apex, glabrous on upper surface, sparsely appressed pilose beneath together with a very fine puberulence; petiole 12–25 mm long; rhachis 3–8 mm long; petiolules 0.5–2 mm long, hairy; stipules 5–11 × 1–2.5 mm, lanceolate, brown, chaffy, striate, finely puberulous outside, persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences terminal and occasionally also from the uppermost axil, 8–30 cm long, with similar indumentum to the stem; peduncle 4–26 cm long; pedicels 1–3 cm long, puberulous; primary bracts each subtending 2 pedicels, 4–6 × 1.5–2 mm, ovate-lanceolate, attenuate, striate, puberulous and with longer hairs outside, ciliate, very soon deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx puberulous; tube 1.2 mm long; lobes 1–2 mm long, triangular to lanceolate, the upper pair joined to form a 2-fid lobe.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard pink or rose-coloured, 5 × 5.5 mm, oblate-obovate, emarginate; keel pale.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits 10–23 mm long, of 1–4 articles, each article 4.5–7 × 2–4 mm, semicircular, densely uncinulate-pubescent, reticulate, necks between the articles c. 1.5 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds (immature) dark reddish-brown, 3.7 × 2 mm, compressed ellipsoid, narrower at one end; hilum minute, central.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian woodland

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Herb

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb, often several stems arising from the long slender branching root, 3–7.5 dm. high; stem angular, lineate, uncinulate-pubescent and somewhat spreading pilose.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate (or occasionally 1-foliolate at base); stipules obliquely lanceolate-attenuate, somewhat auriculate at base, 5–11 mm. long, 1–2.5 mm. wide, minutely uncinulate-puberulent on the outer surface; petiole densely uncinulate-puberulent and moderately to abundantly long-pilose, 0.8–2.2 cm. long; rhachis similar, 0.2–0.6 cm. long; terminal leaflet narrowly elliptic to oblong or oblong-obovate, mucronate and usually obtuse at apex, obtuse to cuneate at base, 1–4.5 cm. long, 0.5–1.3 cm. wide; lateral leaflets similar, 0.6–3.5 cm. long, 0.3–0.9 cm. wide; all glabrous above, minutely uncinulate-puberulent and sparsely to moderately pilose beneath, secondary reticulation prominent on both surfaces.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence of lax terminal racemes; rhachides angular and uncinulate-pubescent; primary bracts, each subtending 2 pedicels, ovate-attenuate, 4–6 mm. long, 1.5–2 mm. wide, puberulent and glandular hirtellous on outer surface, deciduous; pedicels erect to spreading, uncinulate-puberulent and somewhat pilose, 10–29 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers red to violet.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2-lipped, minutely puberulent, somewhat pilose on the teeth of both lobes; central tooth of lower lobe 2–3.5 mm. long; lateral teeth slightly shorter; upper bifid lobe 1.6–3 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard cuneate-obovate, emarginate at apex, shortly clawed at base, 3.5–5.5 mm. long, 3–5.5 mm. wide; wings ± oblong, shortly clawed, 3–4.5 mm. long, 1–3 mm. wide; keel-petals scythe-shaped, long-clawed, equalling standard.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit shortly stipitate, 1–4-articled; stipe 1.5–2.5 mm. long; articles semiorbicnlar or slightly oblique, essentially straight on the upper suture but slightly indented at centre of each article at the point of attachment of the seed, curved on the lower suture between the isthmi, 4.5–7 mm. long, 2–4 mm. wide, uncinulate-puberulent and reticulate on surfaces.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds brown, 4 mm. long, 2.5 mm. wide.

Habitat

Sandy soil in deciduous woodland; 900–1470 m.

Distribution

T6 T7