Otholobium foliosum (Oliv.) C.H.Stirt.

Species

Angiosperms > Fabales > Fabaceae > Otholobium

Characteristics

Branched erect shrub 1-3.5 m tall with densely pubescent branchlets. Leaves digitately 3-foliolate, mostly crowded; leaflets 7-35 x 2.5-14 mm, obovate to oblanceolate, acute, rounded or very slightly emarginate at the apex and recurved-mucronate, cuneate at the base, undulate, pubescent or glabrescent, densely gland-dotted, the glands smaller and more numerous on upper surface; petiole 1-2 mm long; petiolules c. 1 mm long; stipules 2-4 mm long, oblong-falcate. Inflorescences dense, subcapitate, mostly in uppermost axils and appearing terminal, comprised of 3-15 triplets of flowers; pedicels 2-3 mm long; bracts subtending each triplet 1.5-5 mm long, ovate or obovate, persistent, glandular, ciliate; bracts subtending flowers 1.5-3 mm long, linear to lanceolate. Calyx tube 3 mm long; lobes unequal, the lowest ± lanceolate, 6 mm long, the rest triangular-ovate, all pubescent and sparsely glandular. Standard white or pale blue with purple veins or darker purple centre, 9-10 x 7-8 mm with claw 1-3 mm long; wings longer than the keel, 9-10 x 2 mm with claws 2.5-3 mm long; keel purple with yellow glands at the tip, petals 6.5-10 x 2 with claws 3.5-4 mm long. Androecium 6-7 mm long, the vexillary filament lightly adherent. Ovary 1-2 mm long; stipe 1-1.5 mm long; style with straight part 3-5 mm long and apical upwardly curved part c. 1 mm long. Fruit 5-7 x 3-4 mm, papery, reticulate, puberulous. Seeds chestnut-brown to dark brown, 3.5-4.5 x 2.5-2.7 mm, oblong-reniform with central hilum.
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Leaves digitately 3-foliolate, mostly crowded; leaflets 7–35 × 2.5–14 mm, obovate to oblanceolate, acute, rounded or very slightly emarginate at the apex and recurved-mucronate, cuneate at the base, undulate, pubescent or glabrescent, densely gland-dotted, the glands smaller and more numerous on upper surface; petiole 1–2 mm long; petiolules c. 1 mm long; stipules 2–4 mm long, oblong-falcate.
Inflorescences dense, subcapitate, mostly in uppermost axils and appearing terminal, comprised of 3–15 triplets of flowers; pedicels 2–3 mm long; bracts subtending each triplet 1.5–5 mm long, ovate or obovate, persistent, glandular, ciliate; bracts subtending flowers 1.5–3 mm long, linear to lanceolate.
Standard white or pale blue with purple veins or darker purple centre, 9–10 × 7–8 mm with claw 1–3 mm long; wings longer than the keel, 9–10 × 2 mm with claws 2.5–3 mm long; keel purple with yellow glands at the tip, petals 6.5–10 × 2 with claws 3.5–4 mm long.
Calyx tube 3 mm long; lobes unequal, the lowest ± lanceolate, 6 mm long, the rest triangular-ovate, all pubescent and sparsely glandular.
Ovary 1–2 mm long; stipe 1–1.5 mm long; style with straight part 3–5 mm long and apical upwardly curved part c. 1 mm long.
Seeds chestnut-brown to dark brown, 3.5–4.5 × 2.5–2.7 mm, oblong-reniform with central hilum.
Branched erect shrub 1–3.5 m tall with densely pubescent branchlets.
Androecium 6–7 mm long, the vexillary filament lightly adherent.
Fruit 5–7 × 3–4 mm, papery, reticulate, puberulous.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 1.0 - 3.5
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer rhizobia
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

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

Otholobium foliosum world distribution map, present in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, United Republic of, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:942563-1
WFO ID wfo-0000212310
COL ID 6TCNF
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Otholobium foliosum Psoralea foliosa

Lower taxons

Otholobium foliosum subsp. gazense Otholobium foliosum subsp. foliosum