Dolichos lualabaensis R.Wilczek

Prostrate perennial herb about 40 cm. long from a large tuberous root 20 cm. long, 6 cm. wide, beginning to flower just before the leaves appear or whilst they are very young.. Stems mostly simple, zigzag, covered with spreading white hairs.. Leaves unifoliolate; leaflet elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 4·5–18 cm. long, 1·5–8 cm. wide, acute at the apex, rounded to almost subcordate at the base, pubescent on both surfaces but particularly on the nerves beneath, 3–5-nerved from the base, but other lateral nerves obscure the effect, so that the leaflet is not so characteristically 3-nerved as in other species; petiole 3–7 mm. long; stipules ovate to lanceolate, 1–2·5 cm. long, 0·2–1 cm. wide, forming conspicuous bracts for the fascicles of flowers in young shoots, glabrous or almost so but margins ciliate, veined.. Flowers numerous in axillary fascicles; rhachis attaining 2·5 cm.; pedicels 1–4 cm. long, pilose; bracteoles minute, linear.. Calyx with spreading white hairs; tube ± 3 mm. long; lobes triangular, 1·5–3 mm. long, the upper pair joined for ± three-quarters of their length to form a bifid lobe.. Standard purple or greenish-brown with purple flushing or lining, almost round, ± 1–1·4 cm. long, 1–1·2 cm. wide; wings purple; keel paler or white.. Pods oblanceolate, somewhat stipitate, 5·5–6·5 cm. long, 1–1·2 cm. wide, very sparsely pubescent on the faces, margins with denser spreading hairs.. Seeds dark reddish-brown, oblong or rounded, compressed, longest dimension 6–8 mm., shorter dimension 5·5 mm., 2·5 mm. thick.