The World Flora Online

Seeds oblique-cordiform, with the narrow end strongly incurved, ± 4 mm. long, smooth or papillose around the hilum, iron-grey. Pod shortly stipitate, broadly oblong-clavate, up to 52–60 mm. long, 18–20 mm. across, glabrous (occasionally hairy in Ethiopia), ± 26–34-seeded. Racemes shortly and stoutly pedunculate, up to 20–50 cm. long, with many fairly closely arranged flowers; bracts linear-lanceolate, caudate, up to 8–11 mm. long; bracteoles inserted on the upper half of the pedicel, filiform, 2–5 mm. long. Stipules linear-lanceolate, up to 6–9 mm. long, deflexed. Standard suborbicular, yellow, veined and suffused with maroon or purple at the base inside, veined and sometimes diffused outside, glabrous or with a few hairs at the apex outside; wings oblong-obovate, longer than the keel, dark marked at the base; keel rounded about the middle, with a short incurved twisted beak, 12–15 mm. long. Calyx 9–12 mm. long, with the tube protracted on the lower side, subglabrous to appressed pubescent; lobes triangular, ± as long as the tube or a little longer. Perennial, usually with several erect sparingly branched stems, up to 1–2·7 m. tall. Stems hollow, ribbed, appressed pubescent. Leaves 3-folio-late; leaflets linear-lanceolate, oblanceolate-elliptic, elliptic or obovate, up to 1·8–14 cm. long, (1·4–)2·5–6 cm. wide, glabrous above, thinly to densely appressed pubescent beneath; petiole shallow and broadly grooved, up to 2·5–4(–6) cm. long. Pod shortly stipitate, broadly oblong-clavate, up to 52–60 mm. long, 18–20 mm. across, glabrous (occasionally hairy in Ethiopia), ± 26–34-seeded. Racemes shortly and stoutly pedunculate, up to 20–50 cm. long, with many fairly closely arranged flowers; bracts linear-lanceolate, caudate, up to 8–11 mm. long; bracteoles inserted on the upper half of the pedicel, filiform, 2–5 mm. long. Stipules linear-lanceolate, up to 6–9 mm. long, deflexed. Standard suborbicular, yellow, veined and suffused with maroon or purple at the base inside, veined and sometimes diffused outside, glabrous or with a few hairs at the apex outside; wings oblong-obovate, longer than the keel, dark marked at the base; keel rounded about the middle, with a short incurved twisted beak, 12–15 mm. long. Calyx 9–12 mm. long, with the tube protracted on the lower side, subglabrous to appressed pubescent; lobes triangular, ± as long as the tube or a little longer. Perennial, usually with several erect sparingly branched stems, up to 1–2·7 m. tall. Stems hollow, ribbed, appressed pubescent. Leaves 3-folio-late; leaflets linear-lanceolate, oblanceolate-elliptic, elliptic or obovate, up to 1·8–14 cm. long, (1·4–)2·5–6 cm. wide, glabrous above, thinly to densely appressed pubescent beneath; petiole shallow and broadly grooved, up to 2·5–4(–6) cm. long.

Plante' herbacée ou arbuste, dressé et ramifié, de 1-2,5 m de haut; rameaux sillonnés, apprimés-pubescents à glabres.' Feuilles' 3-foliolées; stipules lancéolés, de 3-6 mm de long, réfléchies, persistantes; pétiole de 1,5-4 cm de long, canaliculé, pubescent; folioles à pétiolule de 1-2 mm de long; limbe oblancéolé-elliptique, oblong-lancéolé à obovale, aigu à la base, aigu ou arrondi et mucroné au sommet, de 3-14 cm de long et de 1-4 cm de large, subcoriace, discolore, à points translucides visibles à la loupe, glabre en dessus, apprimé-pubérulent en dessous; nervures secondaires en creux en dessus, saillantes en dessous.' Racèmes' terminaux, robustes, à rachis apprimé-pubérulent; bractées lancéolées, de 7-10 mm de long, persistantes.' Fleurs' jaune citron, veinées de pourpre noir, de 1,7-2 cm de long et de ± 2 cm de large; pédicelle de 6-9 mm de long, tomenteux à pubescent; bractéoles situées dans la moitié supérieure du pédicelle, filiformes, de 3-5 mm de long; calice plus court que la corolle, glabre ou à lobes parfois éparsement poilus au sommet, à tube de 5 mm de long; lobes lancéolés, de 7-8 mm de long; étendard plus long que la carène, orbiculaire, arrondi aux extrémités et mucronulé au sommet, de 14-17 mm de long et de 15-20 mm de large, veiné de rouge, glabre, à appendices lamelliformes tomenteux à la base, à onglet épais de 4-5 mm de long à bords tomenteux; ailes plus longues et recouvrant la carène, obovales-elliptiques, de 13-14 mm de long et de 6-8 mm de large au sommet, veinées, glabres; carène à onglet de 5 mm de long ± tomenteux à l'intérieur, falciforme-courbée, courtement rostrée, de 11 mm de long et de 7 mm de large, à bords dorsaux tomenteux dans la moitié inférieure et ventraux tomenteux à la base; rostre un peu tordu, à sommet court obtus et un peu incurvé; étamines à gouttière de 8-9 mm de long; filets de 3-6 mm de long; petites anthères de 0,8 mm de long, les grandes de 2 mm de long; ovaire oblong, de 7-8 mm de long, glabre; stipe de 1-1,5 mm de long, glabre; style courbé, de 10-14 mm de long; ovules 30-32.' Gousses' oblongues- claviformes, élargies au sommet, de 4-5(8) cm de long et de 1,2-1,5 cm de large, glabres; stipe de ± 4 mm de long.' Graines ± 25, de ± 3 mm de diam.

Savane boisée, galeries forestières, brousse, jachères, anciennes cultures, sur sol humifère et argileux.

Robust perennial, usually with several erect sparingly branched stems, usually 1-2(-3) m tall; stems hollow, ribbed, appressed pubescent. Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets linear-lanceolate, oblanceolate-elliptic, elliptic or obovate, mostly 2-14(-20) x 1-6 cm, thinly to densely appressed pubescent beneath; petiole shallowly and broadly grooved, (0.7-)2-6 cm long. Stipules linear-lanceolate, (3-)6-9 mm long, deflexed. Racemes shortly and stoutly pedunculate, up to 20-50 cm long, sub-densely many-flowered; bracts linear-lanceolate, caudate, (6-)8-11 mm long; bracteoles inserted on the upper half of the pedicel, filiform, 2-5 mm long. Calyx 9-12 mm long, subglabrous to appressed pubescent; lobes triangular, ± as long as the tube or a little longer. Standard subcircular, yellow, veined and suffused with maroon or purple at the base inside, veined and sometimes diffused outside, glabrous except sometimes at the apex outside; wings oblong-obovate, longer than the keel, dark marked at the base; keel rounded about the middle, with a short incurved twisted beak, 1.2-1.5 cm long. Legume shortly stipitate, broadly oblong-clavate, 4.5-6.5 x 1.5-2 cm, usually glabrous (occasionally hairy in Ethiopia), ±26-34-seeded. Seeds oblique-cordiform, with the narrow end strongly incurved, ±4 mm long, smooth or papillose around the hilum, iron-grey.

Wooded and upland grassland, forest margins, wet places at lower altitudes.

Of tropical Africa from N. Nigeria and Cameroun to Ethiopia, south to the Transvaal and Swaziland, west to Angola.

Seeds c. 4 mm long, oblique-cordiform, with the narrow end strongly incurved, smooth or papillose around the hilum, iron-grey. Racemes 15–50 cm long, many-flowered; bracts 6–11 mm long, linear-lanceolate, caudate; bracteoles on the pedicel, 2–5 mm long, filiform. Calyx 9–12 mm long, glabrous or pubescent; lobes triangular, ± as long as the tube or longer. Perennial, usually with several erect sparingly branched stems, usually 1–2(3) m tall; stems hollow, ribbed, appressed pubescent. Leaves 3(rarely 5)-foliolate; leaflets mostly 2–14(20) × 1–6 cm, linear-lanceolate, oblanceolate-elliptic, elliptic or obovate, pubescent beneath; petiole (0.7)2–6 cm long; stipules (3)6–9 mm long, linear-lanceolate. Standard subcircular, yellow, veined and suffused purplish at the base inside, glabrous or with a few hairs at the apex outside; wings oblong-obovate, longer than the keel, dark mark at the base; keel 1.2–1.5 cm long, rounded, with a short incurved twisted beak. Pod shortly stipitate, 4.5–6.5 × 1.5–2 cm, broadly oblong-clavate, glabrous (in the Flora Zambesiaca area), c. 26–34-seeded. Racemes 15–50 cm long, many-flowered; bracts 6–11 mm long, linear-lanceolate, caudate; bracteoles on the pedicel, 2–5 mm long, filiform. Calyx 9–12 mm long, glabrous or pubescent; lobes triangular, ± as long as the tube or longer. Perennial, usually with several erect sparingly branched stems, usually 1–2(3) m tall; stems hollow, ribbed, appressed pubescent. Leaves 3(rarely 5)-foliolate; leaflets mostly 2–14(20) × 1–6 cm, linear-lanceolate, oblanceolate-elliptic, elliptic or obovate, pubescent beneath; petiole (0.7)2–6 cm long; stipules (3)6–9 mm long, linear-lanceolate. Standard subcircular, yellow, veined and suffused purplish at the base inside, glabrous or with a few hairs at the apex outside; wings oblong-obovate, longer than the keel, dark mark at the base; keel 1.2–1.5 cm long, rounded, with a short incurved twisted beak. Pod shortly stipitate, 4.5–6.5 × 1.5–2 cm, broadly oblong-clavate, glabrous (in the Flora Zambesiaca area), c. 26–34-seeded.