Rhynchosia heterophylla Hauman

Species

Angiosperms > Fabales > Fabaceae > Rhynchosia

Characteristics

Erect subshrub ± 60 cm. tall, with several erect shoots from a stout woody rootstock, usually appearing after burning.. Stems stout or slender, pubescent and with dark red glands.. Leaves mostly unifoliolate, less often 3-foliolate; leaflets elliptic, oblong-elliptic or almost round, 1·8–3·5 cm. long, 1·5–2 cm. wide, rounded at both ends, shortly mucronulate at the apex, pubescent and covered with red glands on both surfaces; venation at length reticulate beneath; petiole 0·3–2 cm. long (very short in the single East African specimen seen); petiolule not easily distinguishable; stipules deciduous, oblong, 6 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, pubescent and glandular.. Inflorescences numerous, axillary or apparently terminal at the apices of shoots where leaves have not yet developed; rhachis 2–3(–7) cm. long; peduncle 0·3–1·5(–3·5) cm. long; pedicels 2–3 mm. long; bracts oblong, ± 3 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, pubescent.. Calyx pubescent and covered with red glands; tube 2·5–4 mm. long; lobes lanceolate, 3–7 mm. long, the lowest the longest, the upper pair joined only near the base.. Standard yellow, veins deep purple outside, rounded or broadly obovate, 1–1·7 cm. long, 0·8–1·2 cm. wide, glabrous; wings chrome-yellow; keel pale yellow.. Pods oblong-elliptic, 1·5–2 cm. long, 6–7 mm. wide, yellow-brown blotched darker brown, with long glandular-based hairs, gland-dots and a few short hairs.. Seeds dark purplish-brown, sub-globose, longest dimension 4 mm., shorter dimension 3·5 mm., 2 mm. thick, with a small raised rim-aril in the single seed examined.
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Leaves mostly 1-foliolate, less often 3-foliolate; leaflets 1.3–4.5 × 0.8–3.2 cm, elliptic, oblong-elliptic or almost round, rounded at both ends, shortly mucronulate at the apex, pubescent and covered with orange or red glands on both surfaces; venation at length reticulate beneath; petiole 3–20 mm long; petiolule not easily distinguishable; stipules deciduous, 6 × 2 mm, oblong, pubescent and glandular.
Inflorescences numerous, axillary or apparently terminal at the apices of shoots where leaves have not yet developed; rhachis 2–3(7) cm long; peduncle 3–15(35) mm long; pedicels 2–3 mm long; bracts c. 3 × 1 mm, oblong, pubescent.
Calyx pubescent and covered with red glands; tube 2.5–4 mm long; lobes 3–7 mm long, lanceolate, the lowest the longest, the upper pair joined only near the base.
Pods yellow-brown blotched darker brown, 15–20 × 6–7 mm, oblong-elliptic, with long glandular-based hairs, gland dots and a few short hairs.
Standard yellow, veins deep purple outside, 10–17 × 8–12 mm, rounded or broadly obovate, glabrous; wings chrome-yellow; keel pale yellow.
Erect subshrub c. 60 cm tall, with several erect shoots from a stout woody rootstock, usually appearing after burning.
Seeds dark purplish-brown, 4 × 3.5 × 2 mm, subglobose, with a small raised rim aril in the single seed examined.
Stems sticky, stout or slender, pubescent and with yellow to dark red glands.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support -
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.6
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer rhizobia
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Brachystegia, Diplorhynchus secondary woodland; Brachystegia, Isoberlinia woodland; plateau woodland on laterite; rocky hills; wooded savannah; at elevations from 900-1,300 metres.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 10-12

Usage

Uses -
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

Rhynchosia heterophylla world distribution map, present in Angola, Tanzania, United Republic of, and Zambia

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:517306-1
WFO ID wfo-0000186491
COL ID 4SSKQ
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Rhynchosia heterophylla