Grona caffra (E.Mey.) H.Ohashi & K.Ohashi

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

Morphology General Habit

A subshrubby prostrate, decumbent, or rarely erect perennial herb, 0.2–1 m long or tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems at first appressed-silky-pilose with upwardly directed hairs, later purplish-brown and glabrescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets 0.5–3.5 × 0.3–1.4 cm, obovate-elliptic or elliptic, rounded and usually slightly mucronulate at the apex, cuneate to rounded at the base, glabrous to slightly appressed pilose on upper surface, densely appressed pilose beneath; venation reticulate ± raised on both surfaces; petiole 3–15 mm long, hairy; rhachis 0–1.5 mm long; petiolules 1–2 mm long, hairy; stipules chestnut-brown, 5–10 mm long, lanceolate, hairy at the base and ciliate but otherwise glabrous, striate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences terminal and often also axillary, 1.5–9 cm long, dense; peduncle 0–1.2 cm long, together with the inflorescence hairy like the stems; pedicels 3.5 mm long; primary bracts each subtending 2–5 pedicels, 3–5 × 1.5 mm, narrowly ovate, acuminate, striate, ciliate, comose at apex of inflorescence; secondary bracts 2.5 × 0.5 mm, lanceolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx with both white and ferruginous hairs; tube 1.5 mm long; lobes 2 mm long, lanceolate, the upper pair joined for about one-third of their length.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard blue, purple, red or yellow, 5–6 × 4–5 mm, obovate, emarginate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits 0.5–1.2 cm long, of 3–5 articles, each article c. 2.5 × 2 mm, oblong, one margin straight, the other curved, pubescent, reticulate, not strongly constricted, the necks 1.5 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds yellow-brown or chestnut-brown, 1.8–2 × 1.2 × 0.6 mm, ellipsoid-reniform; hilum minute ± central.

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

Morphology General Habit

Woody herb with prostrate to erect stems or low decumbent to erect shrub 6–9 dm. long or high; stem terete, grooved or striate, glabrescent below, softly pilose above with slender appressed upwardly directed silky white hairs and minute puberulence beneath the pilosity.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate, leaflets apparently sensitive (mostly folded when dry); stipules obliquely lanceolate-attenuate, striate, minutely and sparsely puberulent, ciliate, 5–8 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. wide; petioles densely pilose and puberulent as the stem, 7–11.5 mm. long; rhachis 0.5–1 mm. long or lacking, then only the petiolule with 2 stipels (or these aborted) subtending the terminal leaflet; leaflets obovate, apiculate, ± rounded at apex, cuneate at base, venation prominent on both surfaces, almost glabrous to moderately and inconspicuously pilose above, abundantly long silky pilose beneath, the terminal 1–3 cm. long, 0.5–1 cm. wide, the lateral 0.9–2.4 cm. long, 0.3–0.8 cm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of dense terminal or axillary racemes usually appearing spike-like or head-like because the rhachis does not elongate in fruit; rhachides densely pilose with white or golden hairs and minute uncinulate puberulence underneath; primary bracts usually subtending 2 pedicels, ovate-acuminate, 3–5 mm. long, 1–2 mm. wide, striate, ± pilose near base or throughout, sparsely puberulent, ciliate; secondary bracts (almost always present) each subtending 1 pedicel, ciliate, rather depauperate, 0.5–2.5 mm. long, 0.5–1 mm. wide; pedicels becoming reflexed just below the calyx after anthesis, pilose with scattered upwardly directed hairs and minutely uncinulate-puberulent, 2.5–4.5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers said to be yellow, red, purple, mauve or blue.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx deeply 2-lipped, long silky pilose throughout with usually golden hairs; teeth of both lobes lanceolate-attenuate, central tooth of lower lobe 3–5 mm. long, lateral teeth 3–5 mm. long, upper (deeply) bifid lobe 3–5.5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla slightly exceeding calyx; standard obovate, ± truncate or rounded and slightly retuse at apex, cuneate at base, gradually narrowed for the lower one- to two-thirds of its length, 4.5–7 mm. long, 2–5 mm. wide; wings ± hatchet-shaped, obliquely truncate at apex, shortly clawed, 3–5 mm. long, 1.5–2 mm. wide; keel-petals remotely scythe-shaped, truncate at apex, slightly, if at all, auricled, long and slenderly clawed, 3.5–7 mm. long, 1–2 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit sessile to substipitate (stipe 0.5–1 mm. long), 2–5-articled, upper suture essentially straight, the lower curved; articles softly pilose throughout and with uncinulate puberulence beneath the pilosity, often separating from each other at maturity, 2–3.5 mm. long, 2–3 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed rectangular to reniform, 1.6–2 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide.

Figures

Fig. 65/3, p. 453.

Habitat

Grassland at forest edges, sandy lake shores; 1000–1330 m.

Distribution

K5 T1 U2 U3 U4

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian grassland, Somalia-Masai grasslands

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub