Leobordea difformis (B.-e.van Wyk) B.-e.van Wyk & Boatwr.

Species

Angiosperms > Fabales > Fabaceae > Leobordea

Characteristics

Procumbent herbaceous perennial up to 0.18 m high and 0.5 m in diameter. Branches slender, densely leafy, woody at the base only. All mature parts sparsely pilose. Leaves trifoliolate, (10-)14-26 mm long; petiole much shorter than the terminal leaflet, 2-7 mm long, the lateral leaflets slightly asymmetrical; leaflets relatively large, thin in texture, broadly oblanceolate to elliptic, (6-)8-18(-20) mm long, (2-)4-6(-9) mm wide, sparsely pilose on both surfaces; midrib distinct on abaxial surface, invisible on adaxial surface. Stipules single at each node, foliaceous, similar to the leaflets but slightly smaller, 5-15 mm long, 1-3.5 mm wide. Inflorescences terminal, with large, foliaceous bracts along the lower part of the main axis, 4-12-flowered; peduncle (including the rachis) (15-)24-40(-60) mm long, usually thick and rigid in the fruiting stage; bracts large and foliaceous, broadly obovate, 6-14 mm long, 3-6 mm wide, the lower ones widely separated on the rachis and not subtending flowers, occasionally petiolate, the upper ones inserted ± halfway up the pedicel; bracteoles large, narrowly oblanceolate to linear, 4-6 mm long, 0.5-1 mm wide. Flowers subumbellately arranged at the apex of the inflorescence, relatively small, 10-12 mm long, yellow; pedicel 1-4 mm long. Calyx with the upper two lobes shorter than the lower three lobes, the lateral sinuses slightly shallower than the upper and lower sinuses; lobes relatively short and broad, ± as long as the tube, apices broadly triangular, acute. Standard broadly oblong, as long as the keel; claw ±4 mm long; lamina 6-7 mm long, ±4 mm wide, lobed at the base, apex acuminate, abaxially densely pubescent over the whole surface. Wing petals subtriangular, shorter than the keel, conspicuously auriculate, pubescent along the lower side; apex rounded to truncate; sculpturing in 5 rows of intercostal lunae, with a few large transcostal lamellae towards the auricle. Keel petals obovate-oblong, only slightly auriculate; claw slightly shorter than the lamina; lamina pubescent over most of the surface, apex rounded. Androecium with the stamens fused high up into a narrow sheath; anthers dimorphic, the basifixed ones oblong and slightly longer than the ovate dorsifixed ones, carinal anther similar to the dorsifixed anthers. Gynoecium subsessile; pistil oblong, pubescent; style with only the terminal part curved upwards; stigma small, directed to the front. Pods obovate-oblong, 6-7 mm long, 3 mm wide, compressed and not laterally inflated, upper suture smooth, 3-4-seeded, funicles 1-1.5 mm long. Seeds (immature) suborbicular, ±1.5 mm diameter, testa sparsely and minutely tuberculate.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.18
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer rhizobia
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
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

Leobordea difformis world distribution map, present in South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77110718-1
WFO ID wfo-0000748649
COL ID -
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Lotononis difformis Leobordea difformis