Lablab Adans.

Legumes of the World. Edited by G. Lewis, B. Schrire, B. MacKinder & M. Lock. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (2005)

Note

Previous accounts of the Phaseoleae by Baudet (1978) and Lackey (1981) recognised 90 and 84 genera and c. 1540 and 1480 species respectively in the tribe. In an equivalent, i.e. traditionally held view of Phaseoleae, 89 genera and (1554)–1567–(1580) species are treated here (Table 9; Fig. 47). Changes between Baudet (1978) and this treatment are that eleven genera are now in synonymy or have subsequently been placed in Millettieae, two genera have been transferred from Desmodieae and eight new genera have been added. Vigna has traditionally been thought to comprise some 150–200 species, but Vigna sens. strict. may contain fewer than 100.

Recent molecular analyses of the tribe, however, have emphasised both the polyphyletic and paraphyletic nature of Phaseoleae as traditionally circumscribed (Bruneau & Doyle, 1990; Doyle & Doyle, 1993; Delgado Salinas et al., 1993; Bruneau et al., 1995; Doyle et al., 1997, 2000; Kajita et al., 2001; Goel et al., 2001; Lee & Hymowitz, 2001). This has required a radical realignment of elements of the phaseoloids (Table 9; Fig. 47), with at least two major clades being evident: Phaseoleae subtribes Diocleinae and Ophrestiinae which together with tribe Abreae are allied to the core-Millettieae (Fig. 45), and the remaining groups comprising a Phaseoleae sens. lat. clade. The rbcL phylogeny of Kajita et al. (2001) and the ITS analysis of Hu et al. (2002) are equivocal as to which clade subtribe Clitoriinae belongs. Phaseoleae sens. lat. also includes two traditionally independent tribes, the Desmodieae and Psoraleeae. Delimiting a recircumscribed Phaseoleae sens. strict is thus very problematic. A solution may be to recognise a broad tribe Phaseoleae, comprising the subtribes Kennediinae, Cajaninae, Phaseolinae and Glycininae, assorted basally branching genera, and tribes Desmodieae and Psoraleeae (both treated at subtribal level).

Placed in subtribe Phaseolinae, allied to Dipogon (Thulin et al., 2004); 3 subsp. and numerous varieties or cultivars are recognised

Habit

Herbs

Ecology

Seasonally dry tropical and subtropical forest margins, bushland and grassland, drought resistant, does well on poor soils

Distribution

Africa (mostly Zambezian and Sudanian to Somalia-Masai regions), Madagascar, Asia (Indian subcontinent), widely introduced elsewhere

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

Morphology General Habit

Suberect or climbing herbs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; stipules mostly reflexed and persistent; stipels lanceolate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, falsely racemose; peduncles long; rhachis swollen at the insertion of the pedicels

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2-lipped; tube campanulate; upper lip entire or emarginate, lower lip 3-lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla rather small, crimson, reddish-purple or white; standard round, usually reflexed, auriculate, with 2 callosities or appendages on the inner face; keel with beak incurved at a right-angle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Vexillary stamen free or loosely joined; anthers uniform

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary with several ovules; style with no narrow tenuous basal portion, stiffened, laterally flattened, slightly curved at the apex, hairy on the internal face; stigma terminal

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods oblong or oblong-falcate, tipped by the persistent style, sometimes with upper margin verrucose; septa spongy

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds ovoid, compressed; hilum linear, with a whitish linear or hemispherical aril.