Fabaceae
Adenodolichos

Adenodolichos rupestris Verdc.

First published in Kew Bull. 25: 69 (1971)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. Tanzania to NE. Zambia. It is a scrambling subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Trailing woody herb ± 1 m. long from a woody rootstock.
Morphology Stem
Stems somewhat angular, at first adpressed pubescent, later glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, held horizontally; leaflets 3, broadly elliptic or obovate, 4·3–9·5 cm. long, 3·4–7 cm. wide, broadly rounded or slightly emarginate at the apex, narrowed below to a rounded base, glabrous above, sparsely pubescent and with scattered orange-red glands beneath; nerves visible beneath but neither prominent nor reticulate; petiole 6–12 cm. long; rhachis obsolete; petiolules 2·5–5 mm. long; stipules lanceolate, 6 mm. long, deciduous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes held erect, sometimes sparsely branched, pubescent and glandular; rhachis 8–20 cm. long; peduncles ± 6 cm. long; pedicels 4–6 mm. long; bracts ovate, 4 mm. long, acuminate, deciduous; bracteoles linear, 3·5 mm. long, ultimately deciduous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx pubescent and glandular; tube 3–3·5 mm. long; lobes lanceolate, 5·5–10 mm. long, the upper pair joined for about three-quarters of their length.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard carmine, purple or bluish-purple, obovate, 1·3 cm.long, 1·2 cm. wide; keel often pale.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods oblanceolate-falcate, 5·2 cm. long, 1·6 cm. wide, with somewhat raised venation, covered with fine white pubescence and glands.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds brown, densely mottled with blackish on the faces, irregularly discoid, compressed, ± 6 mm. in diameter, 2 mm. thick; hilum short; aril obsolete.
Habitat
Rocks at head of waterfall; 1200 m.
Distribution
T4
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian woodland
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Trailing woody herb, c. 1 m long from a woody rootstock.
Morphology Stem
Stems somewhat angular, at first appressed pubescent, later glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, held horizontally; leaflets 3, 4.3–10 × 3.4–12 cm, broadly elliptic, obovate or almost round, broadly rounded or slightly to very distinctly broadly emarginate at the apex, narrowed to a rounded base, glabrous on upper surface, sparsely pubescent and with scattered orange-red glands beneath; nerves visible beneath but neither prominent nor reticulate; petiole 6–12 cm long; rhachis obsolete; petiolules 2.5–5 mm long; stipules 6 mm long, lanceolate, deciduous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes held erect, sometimes sparsely branched, pubescent and glandular; rhachis 8–20 cm long; peduncles c. 6 cm long; pedicels 4–6 mm long; bracts 4 mm long, ovate, acuminate, deciduous; bracteoles 3.5 mm long, linear, ultimately deciduous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx pubescent and glandular; tube 3–3.5 mm long; lobes 5.5–10 mm long, lanceolate, the upper pair joined for about three-quarters of their length.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard carmine, purple or bluish-purple, 1.3 × 1.2 cm, obovate; keel often pale.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods 5.2 × 1.6 cm, oblanceolate-falcate, with somewhat raised venation, covered with fine white pubescence and glands.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds brown, densely mottled with blackish on the faces, c. 6 mm in diameter, 2 mm thick, irregularly discoid, compressed; hilum short; aril obsolete.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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

    • 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 Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0