Fabaceae
Mucuna

Mucuna ferox Verdc.

First published in Kew Bull. 35: 745 (1981)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to S. Tropical Africa. It is a climber and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Liane with striate blackish stems densely covered with spreading pale hairs.
Morphology Leaves Leaflets
Terminal leaflet 12 × 11 cm, ovate, acuminate, rounded at base, the laterals oblique, 13 × 10.5 cm, all appressed hairy above with hairs not hiding the surface, beneath densely appressed silvery silky velvety; petiole 5–13 cm long; rhachis 1.7–2.5 cm long; stipules very soon deciduous, not seen; stipels linear, 5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences c. 25 cm long, 50–100-flowered, densely appressed silvery hirsute, the fascicles sessile and several-flowered; peduncle 15–18 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx appressed pubescent and with some golden-brown bristles; tube 8 mm long, 1.5–2 cm wide; lateral lobes 3 × 2.5 mm, narrowly triangular, upper 2 lobes united into an emarginate lip 3 × 8 mm; inferior lobe 5 × 3 mm, very narrow.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla greenish-white; standard c. 4 × 3 cm with claw 4 × 5 mm, broadly elliptic; wings 5–5.7 × 1.2–1.5 cm, ± oblanceolate, rounded, claw 9 mm long with appendage 5 × 3 mm; keel 4.8–5.2 × 0.75 cm, curved at right angles near the apex, 1.6–2 cm long, the bent part strongly incrassate; claw 7–9 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod 10–13 × 2.1–2.4 cm, ± S-shaped when young, curved-oblanceolate when mature, 3–4(5)-seeded, longitudinally bicostate, very densely covered with golden-brown irritant bristles.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds dark brown, compressed, 13.5–15.5 × 12–13.5 × 3.5–4.5 mm, ellipsoid, with hilum 4 mm long surrounded by a black aril.
[FZ]

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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone ; woodland.
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    • International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0