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Baphia racemosa (Hochst.) Baker

Violet pea (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Fabales > Fabaceae > Baphia

Characteristics

Usually a shrub to small tree 3-5 m tall, but reaching 7-10 m under ideal conditions; usually occurring in riverine forest. Bark: smooth and grey when young, becoming brown and rather rough with age. Leaves: ovate, 4-11 x 2-5 cm, dark green, hairless above, slightly velvety below; apex narrowly tapering; base tapering; margin wavy; petiole 1.0-3.5 cm long, swollen at both ends. Flowers: attractive, white, in short sprays or racemes 5-10 cm long, strongly violet-scented; standard petal with a yellow spot at the base (Nov./Dec.). Fruit: a flat, brown pod, up to 12 cm long (Apr./May).
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Shrub or small tree, up to 8 m high. Branchlets greyish brown tomentose. Leaves simple, ovate to lanceolate; upper surface dark green, glabrous; lower surface sometimes slightly pubescent. Inflorescences axillary or rarely terminal racemes, 30-100 mm long. Flowers white and strongly violet-scented. Calyx 2-lobed, toothed. Petals: standard with a yellow spot near base; wings and keel with a pocket near base. Flowering time Sept.-Jan. Pod straw-coloured, containing 1 or 2 seeds.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 5.5 - 6.5
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Flower color
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Nitrogen fixer rhizobia
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
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Hardiness (USDA) 8-12

Usage

Uses medicinal wood
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
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Images

Baphia racemosa unspecified picture

Distribution

Baphia racemosa world distribution map, present in India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and South Africa

Conservation status

Baphia racemosa threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:480914-1
WFO ID wfo-0000212037
COL ID KLN9
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Baphia racemosa Bracteolaria racemosa
WorldFloraDB 2024