Fabaceae
Chamaecrista

Chamaecrista falcinella (Oliv.) Lock

First published in Kew Bull. 43: 336 (1988)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya to Northern Cape. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Leguminosae, R.K. Brummitt, A.C. Chikuni, J.M. Lock and R.M. Polhill. Flora Zambesiaca 3:2. 2007

Morphology General Habit
Upright or ascending annual herb, sometimes slightly woody at the base.
Morphology Stem
Stems terete, pubescent with short crisped and long straight spreading hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves paripinnate, 4–5.5 × 1–1.5 cm; stipules 9–14.5 × 2.5–4.2 mm, narrowly falcate-triangular, apex acuminate, base strongly asymmetric, the proximal side narrowly cuneate, the distal side rounded to cordate and decurrent, outer surface hairy or not, margins ciliate, venation very prominent; petiolar gland single, elliptic to circular, 0.7–1.1 mm in diameter, sessile; rachis channelled above, ciliate on the channel margins and pilose beneath; leaflets in 9–19 pairs, 4–14 × 2.5–3.7 mm, narrowly oblong-ovate, almost straight, somewhat asymmetric, base asymmetric, proximal side rounded, distal side narrowly cuneate, apex mucronate, sparsely hairy above, more densely so beneath; margins ciliate; venation very prominent beneath; midrib excentric; 4–5 lateral nerves from base on proximal side, 0–1 on distal side.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences supra-axillary, 2–3-flowered; pedicels 1–2 cm long in flower and fruit, spreading pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 5–9 × 1.5–2 mm, narrowly ovate, acuminate, pilose outside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals yellow, 4–10 × 3–6 mm, broadly obovate to elliptic.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 10.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary c.5 mm long, densely appressed-pubescent; style c.1.2 mm long, hooked, proximally sparsely appressed-pubescent, distally glabrous; stigma terminal, ciliate-margined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods 3.5–4 × 0.4 cm, sparsely pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds dark brown, 2.5–3 × 1.5–1.8 mm, rhomboid, with lines of minute pits on the testa.
[FZ]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Somalia-Masai grasslands, Zambezian grassland, Lake Victoria regional transition zone; grasslands
Morphology General Habit
Annual, Not climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

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]

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herb, sometimes with lower parts of stems or the rootstock woody, erect or prostrate, 10–60 cm. high.
Morphology Stem
Stems simple or branched, rather densely hairy with short crisped hairs and longer spreading ones.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves ± elliptic or oblong, 0.7–6.5 cm. long, 0.7–2 cm. wide; stipules ± falcate, semi-cordate; gland at top of petiole, sessile, circular to elliptic, flattened or depressed in middle, 0.3–1.25 mm. long, 0.3–0.6 mm. wide; rhachis eglandular, channelled but not crenate-crested along upper side; leaflets sessile, in 5–17 pairs, oblong, straight except at the asymmetric apex, 4–17 mm. long, 0.75–3 mm. wide, acute at apex which ends in a prickle-like point bent to one side, glabrous except on margins or varying to rather densely pubescent especially beneath; midrib very excentric, close to anticous margin, along which runs an often prominent nerve; nerves between midrib and marginal nerve usually 0 or very inconspicuous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences 1–3-flowered; pedicels 1–2.5 cm. long, ± densely clothed with rather long spreading hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals yellow, 4–10 mm. long, 2–10 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods 2–4.3 cm. long, 4–5.5 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds blackish-brown to black, ± rhombic, 3–3.5 mm. long, 2–3 mm. wide, not areolate.
[FTEA]

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • 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