Chamaecrista biensis (Steyaert) Lock

Species

Angiosperms > Fabales > Fabaceae > Chamaecrista

Characteristics

Perennial herb with several prostrate or decumbent, occasionally semi-erect to erect, simple or sub-simple stems up to 45 cm tall, from a woody rootstock. Stems pubescent to velutinous, hairs curved appressed, occasionally with short straight hairs intermingled, greyish-white. Leaves linear or oblong-linear tapering slightly distally, 25-44(-65) mm long, 7-15 mm wide; stipules straight or slightly curved, lanceolate, proinently-nerved, base oblique, apex acuminate bristle-like, abaxial surface glabrate to pubescent; petiolar gland raised on an indistinct stalk 0.1-0.3 mm long or sub-sessile, circular, occasionally elliptic-circular, concave, 0.1-0.4 mm long; rhachis channelled adaxially, margins of channel ciliate, sometimes adhering and thus obscuring the channel until parted artificially, sparsely villous abaxially; leaflets in (5-)13-24(-34) pairs, obliquely linear, 4-10 mm long, 0.7-1.8 mm wide, base oblique, apex asymmetric, apiculate, surfaces glabrous or glabrescent, occasionally villous below, margin fringed with curved appressed hairs, midrib strongly excentric (towards anticous margin) lateral nerves (towards posticous margin only) prominent beneath. Inflorescences supra-axillary, usually 1-flowered; pedicels, at flowering 13-20 mm long, at fruiting to 26 mm long, villous with short, curved or straight, and long patent hairs intermixed. Petals obovate, 4-7 mm long, hardly exceeding sepals, bright yellow. Stamens 10. Ovaries densely strigose, hairs appressed, straight or slightly curved, greyish-white. Pods 30-45 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, valves glabrescent to sparsely velutinous with appressed straight to curved hairs. Seeds rhombic-elliptic, ±3 mm long, ±2.5 mm wide, testa light brown with darker brown scattered dots.
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Perennial prostrate to decumbent suffruticose herb from a woody rootstock. Stems generally annual, terete with slight ridges decurrent from the stipule bases, glabrous. Leaves paripinnate, 4-5.2 x 1.5-2.2 cm; stipules 6-9 x 1.2-1.5 mm, narrowly triangular, spreading pubescent, apex long-acuminate, base rounded to subcordate, asymmetric; petiolar gland single, 0.4-0.5 x 0.4-0.5 mm, subcircular, shortly stalked; rachis channelled, not crested; channel margins ciliate; leaflets in (9)17-23(25) pairs, 7-10.5 x 1.2-3 mm, narrowly oblong, asymmetrical, base asymmetrically truncate, apex abruptly acuminate-mucronate, margins ciliate, often densely so, cilia ascending, surfaces glabrous to sparsely appressed-pubescent; midrib very close to distal margin, 0-1 lateral nerves from base on proximal side of midrib, c. 4 on distal side. Inflorescences axillary, (1)2-flowered; pedicels 1.7-4 cm long in flower, longer in fruit. Flowers small; sepals narrowly ovate, acute, mucronate, appressed-pubescent outside; petals yellow, up to 10 x 7 mm. Stamens 10. Ovary densely appressed-white-pubescent; style glabrous; stigma terminal, densely fringed with hairs. Pods 33-48 x 4-5 mm, sparsely appressed-pubescent, particularly near the margins. Seeds dull ochre, c. 2 x 1.2 mm, rhomboid in outline, flattened, sparsely pitted.
Leaves paripinnate, 4–5.2 × 1.5–2.2 cm; stipules 6–9 × 1.2–1.5 mm, narrowly triangular, spreading pubescent, apex long-acuminate, base rounded to subcordate, asymmetric; petiolar gland single, 0.4–0.5 × 0.4–0.5 mm, subcircular, shortly stalked; rachis channelled, not crested; channel margins ciliate; leaflets in (9)17–23(25) pairs, 7–10.5 × 1.2–3 mm, narrowly oblong, asymmetrical,>i> base asymmetrically truncate, apex abruptly acuminate-mucronate, margins ciliate, often densely so, cilia ascending,>i> surfaces glabrous to sparsely appressed-pubescent; midrib very close to distal margin, 0–1 lateral nerves from base on proximal side of midrib, c.4 on distal side.
Perennial herb, with several prostrate, semi-erect or erect stems from a woody rootstock, 0.05-0.60 m high. Leaves: petiolar gland raised on an indistinct stalk or subsessile, circular or sometimes elliptic-circular, concave. Leaflets in (5-)13-24(-34) pairs obliquely linear, apex acuminate, bristle-like; petiolar gland raised on an indistinct stalk or subsessile, circular, sometimes elliptic-circular, concave. Flowers solitary. Petals hardly exceeding sepals, bright yellow. Stamens 10. Pod: valves are glabrescent to sparsely velutinous with appressed straight to curved hairs. Seeds rhombic-elliptic; testa light brown with darker brown scattered dots.
Perennial herb, up to 0.45 m high. Stems with several procumbent or decumbent, occasionally semi-erect to erect. Leaves with blade linear or oblong-linear, 25-44 x 7-15 mm, leaflets in 13-24 pairs, obliquely linear, 4-10 x 0.7-1.8 mm; petiolar gland subsessile or raised on an indistinct stalk; rachis channelled adaxially. Flowers: inflorescence 1-flowered; petals 4-8 mm long, bright yellow; Oct.-Apr. Pods 30-45 x 4-5 mm.
A herb with a woody rootstock. It lies along the ground. It grows 45 cm high. The leaves are alternate and have 13-24 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets do not have stalks and are narrow and unequal. They are 10 mm long by 2 mm wide. The flowers are near the axils of the leaves and have both sexes. The flower stalk is 2 cm long. The fruit is a 3-5 cm long. The seeds are 3 mm long.
Perennial herb with several prostrate or decumbent, occasionally semi-erect to erect stems, up to 450 mm tall. Petiolar gland raised on an indistinct stalk 0.1-0.3 mm long or subsessile. Petals obovate, 4-7 mm long. Flowers bright yellow.
Flowers small; sepals narrowly ovate, acute, mucronate, appressed-pubescent outside; petals yellow, up to 10 × 7 mm.
Ovary densely appressed-white-pubescent; style glabrous; stigma terminal, densely fringed with hairs.
Stems generally annual, terete with slight ridges decurrent from the stipule bases, glabrous.
Inflorescences axillary, (1)2-flowered; pedicels 1.7–4 cm long in flower, longer in fruit.
Pods 33–48 × 4–5 mm, sparsely appressed-pubescent, particularly near the margins.
Seeds dull ochre, c.2 × 1.2 mm, rhomboid in outline, flattened, sparsely pitted.
Perennial prostrate to decumbent suffruticose herb from a woody rootstock.
Stamens 10.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.45
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer rhizobia
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Widely distributed in savannah on deep sandy and loamy soils. It is most common in disturbed areas such as ploughed land and grazed areas.
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It is a tropical plant. It grows in sandy soils. It grows in savannah.
Light -
Soil humidity 1-3
Soil texture 5-6
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Uses food medicinal social use
Edible roots
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment soaking
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Chamaecrista biensis world distribution map, present in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Thailand, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:945397-1
WFO ID wfo-0000184121
COL ID 5XQ6D
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Cassia biensis Chamaecrista biensis