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Rhynchosia hirsuta Eckl. & Zeyh.

Species

Angiosperms > Fabales > Fabaceae > Rhynchosia

Characteristics

Perennial herb, up to 200 mm high. Stems procumbent or climbing. Leaves with terminal leaflets broadly ovate-orbicular, rigid, hispid-pubescent, 20-50 x 25-40 mm; shortly cuneate at base, apex not acute, midrib hirsute on lower surface; petioles longer than or nearly as long as leaflets; stipules ovate to narrowly ovate, up to 10 mm long, striate. Flowers: subsessile, peduncle elongate, laxly flowered; standard densely pubescent, ± 10 mm long; corolla yellow; Oct., Nov. Pods sessile, villous.
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Stem widely spreading, texuous, hirsute. Stipules ovate, acute. Leaves trifoliolate, petiolate; terminal leaflets broadly ovate-orbicular or rhombeo-obovate, rigid hispid-pubescent, generally 2-5 cm long, 2.5-4 cm broad; petioles 1-2 cm long, hirsute Peduncles elongate, laxly and distantly 3-8 or sometimes more flowered. Flowers 10-12 mm long. Standard densely pubescent, about 10 mm long; carina boat-shaped, 8-10 mm long. Pod sessile, villous, 18-24 mm long.
Prostrate herb with long, much-branched, spreading or twining stems from a woody rootstock; stems striate, hairy. Leaves pinnately trifoliolate. Leaflets widely ovate-orbicular, blunt at tip, rigid, hispid-pubescent. Flowers yellow. Petals: standard red-veined, densely silky-pubescent. Flowering time Aug.-Feb. Rootstock used medicinally in Transkei.
A shrub.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support climber
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.2
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer rhizobia
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It is rare in Swaziland.
Light -
Soil humidity 1-3
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

The roots are chewed raw for their sweet flavour.
Uses medicinal
Edible roots
Therapeutic use Masticatory (unspecified)
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

Rhynchosia hirsuta world distribution map, present in South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:517309-1
WFO ID wfo-0000186987
COL ID 78VSB
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Rhynchosia hirsuta Copisma diversifolium
WorldFloraDB 2024