Eriosema nutans Schinz

Species

Angiosperms > Fabales > Fabaceae > Eriosema

Characteristics

Perennial herb or subshrub 30-90 cm tall from underground rootstock. Stems erect or decumbent, branched, grooved, densely or lightly covered with ± spreading white or ferruginous hairs and shorter curly hairs on ridges, ± glabrous in troughs. Leaves trifoliolate; stipules free, 5-9 mm long, 1.0-1.5 mm wide, linear lanceolate or triangular, straight or falcate, closely veined, not recurved, appressed hairy outside, glabrous inside ± glands. Petioles 3-7 mm long. Leaflets 4-8 cm long, 1.3-2.8 cm wide, laterals much smaller; narrow ovate (2:1) to lanceolate (3:1), or elliptic (2:1); apex acute or rounded; base cuneate or truncate, margin revolute; terminal leaflet symmetrical, laterals almost symmetrical, base mostly oblique; shortly appressed pilose above, appressed pilose on raised venation beneath but sparsely erect pilose between veins; both surfaces covered with either large orange or small yellow glands or both without. Young leaflets shaggy white or ferruginous, ± densely packed with glands. Petiolules 1-2(3) mm long. Rachis (0.7)0.8-1.1(1.2) cm long. Racemes axillary, 10-43-flowered; peduncle 4.0-12.2 cm long, densely or sparsely ferruginous or white hairy; rachis (3.2)4.0-7.2(11.1) cm long; Flowers yellow (7.0)7.5-9.0(10.0) mm long, (2.5)3.0-3.4 mm wide, reflexed; bract 3.0-5.8 mm long, lanceolate slightly boat-shaped, caducous, hairy outside, glabrous inside; calyx (3.0)3.5-4.3(4.5) mm long, lobes ± equal, deltoid or triangular, ± yellow or orange glands, shortly pilose, long hairs if present mostly at tips or along veins; tube (1.5)2.0(2.9) mm long, longer between horn lobes (1.9)2.2-2.8(3.6) mm long; lateral lobes (3.0)3.5-4.0(4.5) mm long; keel lobe (3.0)3.5-4.2(4.5) mm long, horn lobes longest (3.1)4.0-4.3(4.8) mm long, tips straight, occasionally incurved; basal circumference 4.0-5.0 mm. Standard (6.7)7.0-9.2(10.0) mm long, (2.5)2.8-4.0(4.5) mm long, mostly oblong (2:1), densely hairy on back, glands present or absent; claw (1.0)1.5-2.0(2.8) mm long; width between auricles (2.2)3.0-3.3(4.0) mm; auricles prominent; appendage situated low down and extending across auricles, bifurcate, two upcurled flaps 2.7-3.6(4.0) mm from base of claw. Wings (4.2)6.9-7.8(8.8) mm long, (0.9)1.0-1.1(1.6) mm wide at maximum, about same length as keel blades, sparsely glandular and hairy on outside, claw (1.7)2.0-2.5(3.2) mm long; auricle 1.0-1.2 (1.6) mm high. Keel blades (6.0)7.0-8.0 mm long, (0.9)2.5-2.8(3.3) mm wide at maximum, 2-3 times wider than wing, either densely packed with glands or eglandular, prominently hairy along base line up curvature to apex, claw 2.0-2.5(3.0) mm long, auricle 1.2-1.5(1.8) mm high. Staminal sheath (5.5)6.0-7.0(7.1) mm long, (1.2)1.9-2.2 mm wide at maximum, vexillar stamen (5.2)6.0-6.8(7.0) mm long. Gynoecium (5.4)6.0-7.2(8.5) mm long; ovary (2.2)2.8-3.0 mm long with short haired stalk, 0.2-0.5 mm long; glandular with long silky sericeous hairs reflexing at tips and extending as far as thickening in style; style filiform but thickened at point of flexure, curvature (1.5)2.0-2.1(2.2) mm high; stigma minutely capitate, inserted. Discoid floral nectary with margin crenulate. Fruits ovate-oblong, 10-12 mm long, 6-8 mm wide, beak oblique 0.5-1.1 mm long, covered with long soft ferruginous hairs and short hairs, longer hairs mostly at top and sides, short appressed hairs distinctive along base line as it incurves towards stem. Seeds 3.0-3.5 mm long, 1.6-2.0 mm wide; black, strophiole cream or white. It flowers from November to May with a definite peak in February to March.
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Perennial herb 0·2–1·5 m. tall; rootstock thick.. Branches erect or decumbent, densely covered with ± spreading white to ferruginous hairs.. Leaflets 3, ovate, elliptic or lanceolate, the laterals often oblique, 1·2–9 cm. long, 0·7–3·8 cm. wide, emarginate to acute at the apex, cuneate to rarely cordate at the base, shortly pilose above, pilose on the raised venation beneath with rest of leaflet-surface glabrescent but with small orange glands; young leaves shaggy, ferruginous pilose; petiole 2–9(–12) mm. long; rhachis 0·3–1·7 cm. long; petiolules 1–4 mm. long; stipules linear-lanceolate, 0·6–1·5 cm. long, 1·1–2(–2) mm. wide, hairy outside, closely veined.. Racemes with a rhachis 3·9–5(–13) cm. long; peduncle 1·5–10 cm. long, ferruginous hairy; pedicels ± 1·5 mm. long, recurved.. Calyx reddish, shortly pilose and glandular, 4–5 mm. long; lobes triangular or lanceolate, acuminate, slightly shorter to slightly longer than the tube.. Standard white or usually yellow, often with reddish-brown flushing or veining, oblong, 5–8 mm. long, 1·5–4 mm. wide, the appendages situated low down and extending across the auricles; wings bright yellow; keel greenish-yellow or green or corolla described as yellow and white.. Pods ovate-oblong, ± 0·8–1 cm. long, 5–8 mm. wide, covered with long hairs, short hairs and glands.. Seeds grey, brown or black, often mottled with purple spots, shiny, narrowly oblong, longest dimension 3–4·2 mm., shorter dimension 1·5–3 mm., 0·6–1·7 mm. thick; rim-aril cream or brown.
Perennial herb 0.2-1.8 m tall; rootstock thick. Branches erect or decumbent, densely covered with ± spreading white to ferruginous hairs. Leaflets 3, 1.2-9.5 x 0.7-3.8 cm, ovate, elliptic or lanceolate, the laterals often oblique, emarginate to acute at the apex, cuneate to rarely cordate at the base, shortly pilose above, pilose on the raised venation beneath with rest of leaflet surface glabrescent but with small orange glands; young leaves shaggy, ferruginous pilose; petiole 2-9(12) mm long; rhachis 3-17 mm long; petiolules 1-4 mm long; stipules 6-15 x 1-1.2(2) mm, linear-lanceolate, hairy outside, closely veined. Racemes with a rhachis 3-9.5(13) cm long; peduncle 1.5-10 cm long, ferruginous hairy; pedicels c. 1.5 mm long, recurved. Calyx reddish, shortly pilose and glandular, 4-5 mm long; lobes triangular or lanceolate, acuminate, slightly shorter to slightly longer than the tube. Standard white or usually yellow, often with reddish-brown flushing or veining, 5-8 x 1.5-4 mm, oblong, the appendages situated low down and extending across the auricles; wings bright yellow; keel greenish-yellow or green or corolla described as yellow and white. Pods c. 8-10 x 5-8 mm, ovate-oblong, covered with long hairs, short hairs and glands. Seeds grey, brown or black, often mottled with purple spots, shiny, 3-4.2 x 1.5-3 x 0.6-1.7 mm, narrowly oblong; rim aril cream-coloured or brown.
Leaflets 3, 1.2–9.5 × 0.7–3.8 cm, ovate, elliptic or lanceolate, the laterals often oblique, emarginate to acute at the apex, cuneate to rarely cordate at the base, shortly pilose above, pilose on the raised venation beneath with rest of leaflet surface glabrescent but with small orange glands; young leaves shaggy, ferruginous pilose; petiole 2–9(12) mm long; rhachis 3–17 mm long; petiolules 1–4 mm long; stipules 6–15 × 1–1.2(2) mm, linear-lanceolate, hairy outside, closely veined.
Standard white or usually yellow, often with reddish-brown flushing or veining, 5–8 × 1.5–4 mm, oblong, the appendages situated low down and extending across the auricles; wings bright yellow; keel greenish-yellow or green or corolla described as yellow and white.
A herb. It grows 1.5 m high. The branches can be erect or laying over. It grows from a thick root stock. The leaves have 3 leaflets. The flowers are in dense clusters. The flowers are small and pea-like.
Calyx reddish, shortly pilose and glandular, 4–5 mm long; lobes triangular or lanceolate, acuminate, slightly shorter to slightly longer than the tube.
Seeds grey, brown or black, often mottled with purple spots, shiny, 3–4.2 × 1.5–3 × 0.6–1.7 mm, narrowly oblong; rim aril cream-coloured or brown.
Racemes with a rhachis 3–9.5(13) cm long; peduncle 1.5–10 cm long, ferruginous hairy; pedicels c. 1.5 mm long, recurved.
Branches erect or decumbent, densely covered with ± spreading white to ferruginous hairs.
Pods c. 8–10 × 5–8 mm, ovate-oblong, covered with long hairs, short hairs and glands.
Perennial herb 0.2–1.8 m tall; rootstock thick.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.65 - 1.65
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer rhizobia
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Grassland, grassland with scattered trees, open woodland, forest edges, bushland particularly on sandy soils, drier parts of dambos and marshes, seasonal swamps; also a weed of open areas, cultivated ground; fallow land; from 1,050-2,190 metres.
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It is a tropical plant. It is common in NE tropical Africa. It is rare in Swaziland. It grows in seasonal swamps and cultivated areas. It can grow in arid places.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture 5-6
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

The roots are eaten raw by children.
Uses animal food food
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

Eriosema nutans world distribution map, present in Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, United Republic of, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:494108-1
WFO ID wfo-0000195389
COL ID 3B67K
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Eriosema nutans Eriosema richardii Eriosema buchananii var. richardii