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This species is accepted, and its native range is Tropical Africa.

[FZ]

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

Habit
Perennial prostrate or climbing herb, 0.4–1.2 m long.
Stem
Stem rather graceful to somewhat robust, covered with dense short white pubescence.
Leaflets
Leaflets 3, 0.8–6 × 0.4–3.5 cm, ovate to lanceolate, often hastately lobed, rounded to subacute at the apex, cuneate or rounded at the base, pubescent or glabrescent; petiole 0.6–3.5 cm long; rhachis 0.2–1 cm long; stipules 1.5–3 mm long, filiform, 1-nerved, truncate and not prolonged at the base.
Inflorescences
Peduncle 4–25 cm × 0.2–1 mm, pubescent; rhachis slightly zigzag, 0.5–2.5 cm long, 5–12-noded, internodes 1–2 mm long.
Flowers
Flower yellow or sometimes described as mauve and yellow, 6–13 mm long; pedicel 0.5–2 mm long, expanding as the pod matures; bracteoles 1.5–5 mm long, lanceolate, 1-nerved.
Calyx
Calyx sparsely pubescent; tube 1.5–2 mm long; lobes triangular, the lowest apiculate and as long as the laterals, the upper pair united into an emarginate or bidentate lip.
Corolla
Standard with 2 centrally placed appendages; keel with a short scarcely incurved beak, slightly twisted towards the left.
Ovary
Ovary 2–6-ovuled.
Fruits
Pods 1.5–4 × 0.4–0.5 cm, oblong-falcate, compressed, sparsely pubescent, with a short curved beak.
Seeds
Seed 3–5 × 2–3.5 × c. 2 mm; hilum excentric; aril rugulose, markedly excentric.

[ILDIS]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Sudanian bushland and thicket, Zambezian grassland, Guinea-Congolia/Sudania regional transition zone; bushland and thicket., Guinea-Congolia/Sudania regional transition zone; grasslands., Zambezian bushland and thicket, Lake Victoria regional tran
Habit
Perennial, Climbing/Not climbing, Herb

[FTEA]

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

Habit
Perennial prostrate or climbing herb, 0·4–1·2 m. long.
Stem
Stems rather graceful or more robust, covered with dense short white pubescence.
Leaves
Leaflets 3, ovate to lanceolate, 0·8–3·5(–6) cm. long, 0·4–2(–3·8) cm. wide, often hastately lobed, rounded to subacute at the apex, cuneate or rounded at the base, pubescent or glabrescent; petioles 0·6–2·5(–3·5) cm. long; rhachis 2–10 mm. long; petiolules ± 1 mm. long; stipules persistent, filiform, 2–3 mm. long.
Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary; rhachis slightly zigzag, 0·4–6·5 cm. long, pubescent, characteristically nodulated by the persistent glandular fascicle-bases after flowers have fallen; peduncle 2–15(–20) cm. long; pedicels 1–2 mm. long; bracts deciduous, lanceolate, 2–3 mm. long, 1-nerved; bracteoles persistent, similar, 3–4 mm. long.
Calyx
Calyx sparsely pubescent; tube 1·5–2 mm. long; lobes triangular, 0·6–1·5 mm. long, the lowest apiculate, the upper pair united into an emarginate or bidentate lip.
Corolla
Corolla yellow or sometimes described as mauve and yellow; standard oblate, (0·5–)0·8–1(–1·4) cm. long, 0·95–1·4 cm. wide, emarginate, glabrous; keel with short scarcely incurved beak.
Fruits
Pods oblong-falcate, with a short curved beak, 1–2·5 cm. long, 4–5 mm. wide, sparsely pubescent, 1–3-seeded.
Seeds
Seeds reddish-brown, mottled black, narrowly oblong or ovoid, longest dimension 3–5 mm., shorter dimension 2–3·3 mm., ± 2 mm. thick; aril rugulose, markedly eccentric, 2–3 mm. long.

Native to:

Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Repu, Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zaïre

Introduced into:

Free State

Vigna comosa Baker appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
Bidgood, S. [5559], Tanzania K000468865
Welwitsch [2257], Angola K000263436 Unknown type material
Schlechter, F.R.R. [12592], Congo K000263431
Le Testu, M.G. [9457], Gabon K000263430 Unknown type material

First published in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 2: 202 (1871)

Accepted by

  • Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Jongkind, C. (2014). Fauna & Flora of Liberia, flowering plant species list www.liberianfaunaflora.org.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (eds.) (2006). Flore Analytique du Bénin: 1-1034. Backhuys Publishers.
  • Sita, P. & Moutsambote, J.-M. (2005). Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Congo, ed. sept. 2005: 1-158. ORSTOM, Centre de Brazzaville.
  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa an annotated checklist Strelitzia 14: 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Mackinder, B., Pasquet, R., Polhill, R. & Verdcourt, B. (2001). Flora Zambesiaca 3(5): 1-261. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Lock, J.M. (1989). Legumes of Africa a check-list: 1-619. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Troupin, G. (ed.) (1983). Flora du Rwanda 2: 1-603. Musee Royal de l'Afrique Centrale.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Jongkind, C. (2014). Fauna & Flora of Liberia, flowering plant species list www.liberianfaunaflora.org.
  • Lisowski, S. (2009). Flore (Angiospermes) de la République de Guinée Scripta Botanica Belgica 41: 1-517.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (eds.) (2006). Flore Analytique du Bénin: 1-1034. Backhuys Publishers.
  • Sita, P. & Moutsambote, J.-M. (2005). Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Congo, ed. sept. 2005: 1-158. ORSTOM, Centre de Brazzaville.
  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa an annotated checklist Strelitzia 14: 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Mackinder, B., Pasquet, R., Polhill, R. & Verdcourt, B. (2001). Flora Zambesiaca 3(5): 1-261. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Lock, J.M. (1989). Legumes of Africa a check-list: 1-619. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Troupin, G. (ed.) (1983). Flora du Rwanda 2: 1-603. Musee Royal de l'Afrique Centrale.
  • Boulvert, Y. (1977). Catalogue de la Flore de Centrafrique 2(1): 1-85. ORSTROM, Bangui.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Verdc. in Kew Bulletin 24: 528 (1970).
  • Bak. f., Leguminosae of Tropical Africa: 402 (1929).
  • Bak. in Flora of Tropical Africa 2: 202 (1871).

International Legume Database and Information Service

  • Gillett, J. B. et al. (1971). Papilionoideae. In: Fl. Trop. E. Africa, Milne-Redhead & Polhill

Flora Zambesiaca
Flora Zambesiaca
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

Flora of Tropical East Africa
Flora of Tropical East Africa
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

International Legume Database and Information Service
International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Kew Backbone Distributions
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2021. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2021. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0