Aspalathus pendula R.Dahlgren

Tree tea (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Fabales > Fabaceae > Aspalathus

Characteristics

A large shrub or a small tree, 1.5-3(-5) m tall, generally with an unbranched trunk up to 30-70 mm thick at the base. Branches grey or reddish, slender, lax, pendulous, slightly sulcate, with sparse, short, adpressed hairs on youngest parts. Leaves linear, piniform, straight, (25-)40-70 mm long and 0.4-0.7 mm thick, subterete, acuminate, glabrous (or when young with short, appressed hairs), sombre green, basally with a constricted portion (pulvinus). Leaf base below this often with short, lateral, subulate teeth. Inflorescence a sparse, lax, 3-7-flowered raceme on a slender peduncle terminating the branch. Bracts subulate, caducous, 1.5-3 mm long. Pedicel 4.5-6 mm long, adpressed-puberulous. Bracteoles 0.8-1.2 mm long. Calyx obliquely campanulate, minutely sericeous or subglabrous; lobes broadly triangular, short, 0.8-1.2 mm. Petals light yellow or partly with violet shade. Standard blade 8.5-9.5 x 8.5-9 mm, short-sericeous on most of the back. Wing blades 7.5-9 x ±3 mm. Keel blades 6.5-7 x ±4 mm, short-sericeous on lower front parts, slightly upcurved towards the apex. Pistil sericeous on ovary and style base; ovules 2-4; stigma regular, capitate. Pod 20-22 x 4.7-5.5 mm.
More
Shrub or small tree with pendulous branches, 1.5-5.0 m. Leaves 1-foliolate, needle-like, basally with a constricted portion, glabrous. Flowers 3-7 on terminal, lax raceme with long peduncle, pale yellow or partly violet, wings glabrous, keel rostrate, hairy, calyx shortly hairy, lobes broadly triangular, short.
A shrub.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support -
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 1.5 - 4.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer rhizobia
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It is a subtropical plant.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture 5-8
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

The stems and leaves are used to make tea and ice tea.
Uses tea
Edible leaves stems
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Aspalathus pendula world distribution map, present in South Africa

Conservation status

Aspalathus pendula threat status: Near Threatened

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:475715-1
WFO ID wfo-0000211608
COL ID HB5M
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Aspalathus pendula