Neorautanenia mitis (A.Rich.) Verdc.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian bushland and thicket, Zambezian grassland, Zambezian wooded grassland, Sudanian grasslands, Sudanian wooded grassland, Lake Victoria regional mosaic; bushland and thicket, Lake Victoria regional transition zone; grasslands, Lake Victoria

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Herb

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit

Subshrubby herb, erect, climbing or scrambling, 0·9–2·4(–10·8) m. long; rootstock tuberous, often conical, frequently exceeding 0·4 m. in width.

Morphology Stem

Stems glabrous to velvety, sometimes flowering just before the leaves are fully expanded.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets 3, very rarely 4–5, ovate, oblong or almost round in outline, 5–18·5(–21) cm. long, 4–18·5 cm. wide, from entire with every gradation to deeply 3-lobed, often resembling those of the edible fig tree, the lobes triangular-ovate to oblong, acute, acuminate, truncate or even emar-ginate, mucronulate, glabrescent to densely velvety; petioles 2·5–26 cm. long; rhachis 1–9 cm. long; petiolules 3–8 mm. long; stipules linear-lanceolate, 0·5–1·3 cm. long, 2–4 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences rather dense, many-flowered; rhachis 7–34 cm. long; peduncle 4–20 cm. long; pedicels 2–6(–8) mm. long; bracts ovate-lanceolate, (3–)6·5–8 mm. long, 2–2·7 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx adpressed pubescent; tube 3–4 mm. long; lobes 3–6 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard greyish-violet to greenish-white outside, mauve or bluish-violet with green centre inside, oblate or transversely oblong, 1–1·2 cm. long, 1–1·3 cm. wide; wings mauve or bluish-violet, white at base; keel pale violet, white at base, or greenish tinged mauve.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods rather swollen, 6·3–10·8(–13) cm. long, 1–1·8(–2·2) cm. wide, densely covered with adpressed pale ferruginous sometimes silky, rarely more stiff, hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds black or very dark blackish-red, longest dimension 8–10 mm., shorter dimension 6–8 mm., thickness 4–5·5 mm.

Figures

Fig. 105.

Habitat

Grassland, bushland, open woodland, often in rocky places; 15–1800 m.

Distribution

K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 widespread in tropical Africa

Leguminosae, B. Mackinder, R. Pasquet, R. Polhill and B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:5. 2001

Morphology General Habit

Subshrubby herb, erect, climbing, scrambling or entirely prostrate, 0.9–2.4(10.8) m long; rootstock tuberous, often conical, frequently exceeding 40 cm in width.

Morphology Stem

Stems glabrous to velvety, sometimes flowering just before the leaves are fully expanded.

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, very rarely 4–5, 5–18.5(21) × 4–18.5 cm, ovate, oblong or almost round in outline, from entire with every gradation to deeply 3-lobed, often resembling those of the edible fig tree, the lobes triangular-ovate to oblong or subspathulate, acute, acuminate, truncate or even emarginate; mucronulate, glabrescent to densely velvety; petioles 2.5–26 cm long; rhachis 1–9 cm long; petiolules 3–8 mm long; stipules 0.5–1.3 cm × 2–4 mm, linear-lanceolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences rather dense, many-flowered; rhachis 7–34 cm long; peduncle 4–20 cm long; pedicels 2–6(8) mm long; bracts (3)6.5–8 × 2–2.7 mm, ovate-lanceolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx appressed pubescent; tube 3–4 mm long; lobes 3–6 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard greyish-violet to greenish-white outside, mauve or bluish-violet with green centre inside, 1–1.2 × 1–1.3 mm, oblate or transversely oblong; wings mauve or bluish-violet, white at the base; keel pale violet, white at the base, or greenish tinged mauve.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods rather swollen, 6.3–10.8(13) × 1–1.8(2.2) cm, (1)4–6-seeded, densely covered with appressed pale ferruginous sometimes silky, rarely more stiff, hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds black or very dark blackish-red, 8–10 × 6–8 × 4–5.5 mm.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Subshrubby herb, climbing, scrambling or erect from a tuberous rootstock; stems glabrous or velvety

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets ovate, oblong or almost round in outline, 5–20 x 4–18 cm, entire to deeply 3-lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Flowers numerous on a rhachis 7–34 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx appressed pubescent; tube 3–4 mm long; lobes 3–6 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard ± greyish outside, mauve or violet and green inside, 1–1.2 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod rather swollen, 7–14 x 1–1.8 cm, densely covered with appressed pale rusty-red hairs.

Distribution

S3 widespread in tropical Africa.

Ecology

Near sea level.

Leguminosae, B. Mackinder, R. Pasquet, R. Polhill and B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:5. 2001

Morphology General Habit

Mostly erect herb or shrublet 0.4–1 m tall, or less often with prostrate stems* to 1.5 m long, from a large underground tuber up to 45 cm in diameter.

Morphology General Indumentum

Very young stems and foliage densely appressed silvery-grey silky, older stems characteristic pale yellow-brown in colour, sparsely appressed pubescent or glabrescent.

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, 5–13 × 2–5.5(12.5) cm, rhombic-obovate, rhombic-oblanceolate to oblanceolate or rarely perfectly round, entire or rarely 3-lobed**, the lateral leaflets somewhat oblique, acute to rounded at the apex, rounded to cuneate at the base, ± densely to sparsely shortly pubescent, rarely persistently velvety; venation finely reticulate; petiole 0–2.8 cm long; rhachis 0.6–3.3 cm long, typically longer than the petiole; stipules 3–9 × 2.5 mm, falcate or oblong-triangular, ribbed, often reflexed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences 6–29 cm long; flowers 2–3 at each node; true pedicels 3–5 mm long, jointed to the vestigial branchlet; bracts 3–4 mm long, oblong, acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx tube 3–5 mm long; lobes 5–5.5 mm long, oblong, obtuse, 2 upper lobes partly joined; lowest lobe the longest, acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard dark blue or mauve, bright inside, ± greyish outside (rarely flowers yellow, fide Leach & Noel 274), c. 1 cm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 7–10.5 × 1.5–1.7 cm, linear-oblong, with ± dense short and longer hairs (silky when young), 2–5-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds black, 12–13 × 9–11 × 5–7 mm, rounded-oblong or oblong-reniform, compressed.

Papilionaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit

A strong climber over shrubs or sometimes suberect

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers blue purple.