Tephrosia tanganicensis De Wild.

Short-lived perennial up to 2 m. tall; indumentum on stems dense, spreading, brownish.. Leaf-rhachis up to 3 cm. long, including a petiole of up to 5 mm., prolonged 0–1 mm. beyond the lateral leaflets; stipules triangular, up to 6 mm. long; leaflets 3–9, cuneate-oblanceolate, up to 40 mm. long and 11 mm. wide, rounded, truncate or slightly retuse at the apex, glabrous or sparsely short-pubescent above, appressed silvery beneath, the midrib fulvous; nerves somewhat prominent, very numerous.. Flowers orange-yellow in terminal short subumbellate pseudoracemes; pedicels up to 5 mm. long.. Calyx densely brown tomentose; teeth long-acuminate, the lowest up to 11 mm. long, much longer than the upper.. Standard densely brown tomentose outside, up to 12 mm. long; blade of keel broader than long, pubescent along the suture.. Filament-sheath 7 mm. long, free parts 4–5 mm., anthers 0.5 mm. long; upper filament bent and thickened at the base and then firmly attached to the sheath for 2–4 mm.. Style 5–7 mm. long, pubescent in its sharply curved lower part, then glabrous and pubescent again on the inner face for 1–3 mm. below the tip.. Pod more or less horizontal, slightly upcurved or straight, ± 5 cm. long by 9 mm. wide, the style-base pointing slightly downwards, densely brown tomentose with silvery hairs at the sides.. Seeds 6–7, oval, mottled, longitudinal, ± 5 mm. by 3 mm.; hilum at the narrower basal end of the seed; aril large, conspicuous, greenish, wedge-shaped, ± 2.6 mm. long by 1 mm. wide.