Kotschya recurvifolia (Taub.) F.White

Leguminosae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:6. 2000

Morphology General Habit

Erect much branched somewhat aromatic sticky shrub 0.2–3.6 (4.5) m tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems pubescent and with longer whitish or golden bristly tubercular-based hairs, sometimes also covered with persistent stipules.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves densely congested or laxer, 8–18-foliolate; leaflets 3–9(11) × 0.7–2.5 mm, narrowly oblong-falcate, always characteristically and distinctly curved at the apex, acute at the apex, cuneate or oblique at the base, quite glabrous or ciliate, sometimes minutely ciliate-denticulate, otherwise glabrous save for bristles on the submarginal main nerve; basal nerves 4–5; petiole and rhachis together typically very short, 3–15(23) mm long; petiolules minute; stipules 3–7 × 1–2.5 mm, triangular-lanceolate, acute, scarious, ciliate, persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, dense, few- to several-flowered, 1.5–3.5 cm long, subsessile; pedicels 2–7 mm long; rhachis of inflorescence with long golden bristly hairs 1–2 mm long; bracts 5–7 × (2.5)4–5 mm, ovate, with long golden bristly hairs on the margins; bracteoles 2–6 × 1–1.5 mm, ovate to lanceolate, with long hairs chiefly on the margins.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pubescent and ciliate with golden hairs, 5–12 mm long, 2-lipped; lips oblong, upper shortly to deeply emarginate or divided into diverging lobes, the lower divided for two-thirds of its length into 3 oblong-rounded or lanceolate acute lobes.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard pale to golden-yellow or whitish, 9–12(16) × 7–8(11.5) mm, elliptic to rounded or obovate-oblong, glabrous; wings golden-yellow; keel greenish.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit of 1–3 articles, each article straight above, strongly curved beneath, 3.2 × 2.8 mm, pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds greenish to dark reddish-brown, 1.8–2.5 × 1.2–2 × 0.5–1 mm, oblong or reniform.

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect much-branched somewhat aromatic sticky shrub 0.2–3.6(–4.5) m. tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems pubescent and with longer whitish or golden bristly tubercular-based hairs, sometimes also covered with persistent stipules.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves densely congested or laxer, 8–18-foliolate; leaflets narrowly oblong-falcate, always characteristically and distinctly curved at the apex, 3–9(–11) mm. long, 0.7–2.5 mm. wide, acute at the apex, cuneate or oblique at the base, ciliate, sometimes minutely ciliate-denticulate, otherwise glabrous save for bristles on the submarginal main nerve; basal nerves 4–5; petiole and rhachis together typically very short, 0.3–1.5(–2.3) cm. long; petiolules minute; stipules triangular-lanceolate, 3–7 mm. long, 1–2.5 mm. wide, acute, scarious, ciliate, persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, dense, few- to several-flowered, 1.5–3.5 cm. long, subsessile; pedicels 2–7 mm. long; rhachis of inflorescence with long golden bristly hairs 1–2 mm. long; bracts ovate, 5–7 mm. long, (2.5–)4–5 mm. wide, with long golden bristly hairs on the margins; bracteoles ovate to lanceolate, 2–6 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. wide, with long hairs chiefly on the margins.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pubescent and ciliate with golden hairs, 0.5–1.2 cm. long, 2-lipped, the lips oblong, upper shortly to deeply emarginate or divided into diverging lobes, the lower divided for two-thirds of its length into 3 oblong rounded or lanceolate acute lobes.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard pale to golden-yellow or whitish, elliptic to rounded or obovate-oblong, 0.9–1.2 (–1.6) cm. long, 7–8(–11.5) mm. wide, glabrous; wings golden-yellow; keel greenish.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods of 1–3 articles, each straight above, strongly curved beneath, 3.2 mm. long, 2.8 mm. wide, pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds greenish to dark reddish-brown, oblong or reniform, longest dimension 1.8–2.5 mm., shorter dimension 1.2–2 mm., 0.5–1 mm. thick.

Distribution

As above with addition of Ethiopia

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: confident

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/179244/1572224

Conservation

LC - least concern