Uraria picta (Jacq.) Desv. ex DC.

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect subshrub 20–180 cm tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems scabrid with short hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Lower leaves 1–3-foliolate, upper 5–9-foliolate; leaflets of lower leaves 2–8 × 2–3.2 cm, ovate, of upper leaves 7–25 × 0.5–2.5(4) cm, lanceolate, subacute and mucronulate at the apex, rounded at the base, often variegated, glabrescent and shining above, scabrid and strongly reticulate beneath.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences with a rhachis 10–55 cm long; peduncles 0–5 cm long, scabrid; pedicels at first erect, later inflexed, 6–9 mm long, covered with long deciduous hairs and denser short persistent hook-tipped hairs; bracts pinkish, comose, 14–25 × 2–8 mm, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate-caudate, deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx tube puberulous, 2 mm long; lobes 2–3, 4–5 mm long, covered with long, white or brownish tubercular-based hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla pink, bluish or reddish, glabrous; standard 8–9 × 5–6 mm, obovate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 5–9 mm long, of 3–6 segments, each segment 2–3 mm wide, shining, brown to blackish then whitish-grey.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds yellowish-brown, compressed, 2–2.5 × 1.5–2 × 0.8 mm, oblong-ellipsoid.

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect subshrub 0.2–1.8 m. tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems scabrid with short hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Lower leaves 1–3-foliolate, upper 5–9-foliolate; leaflets of lower leaves ovate, 2–8 cm. long, 2–3.2 cm. wide, of upper leaves ovate-lanceolate, 7–25 cm. long, 0.5–2.5(–4) cm. wide, subacute and mucronulate at the apex, rounded at the base, often variegated, glabrescent and shining above, scabrid and strongly reticulate beneath.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences with a rhachis 10–70 cm. long; peduncles 0–5 cm. long, scabrid; pedicels at first erect, later inflexed, 6–9 mm. long, covered with long deciduous hairs and denser short persistent hook-tipped hairs; bracts pinkish, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate-caudate, comose, 1.4–2.5 cm. long, 2–8 mm. wide, deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-tube puberulous, 2 mm. long; lobes 2–3 and 4–5 mm. long, covered with long, white or brownish tubercular-based hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla pink, bluish or reddish, glabrous; standard obovate, 8–9 mm. long, 5–6 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 5–9 mm. long, of 3–6 segments, each 2–3 mm. wide, shining, brown to blackish then whitish-grey.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds yellowish-brown, compressed, oblong-ellipsoid, longest dimension 2–2.5 mm., shorter dimension 1.5–2 mm., 0.8 mm. thick.

Figures

Fig. 67.

Habitat

Grassland, grassland with scattered trees, rocky ground, also a shell midden near village; 0–1200 m.

Distribution

widespread in tropical Africa from W. Africa and Sudan to Mozambique, Malawi and Angola, also Asia and N. Australia P T7 U1 U2 U3

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

Morphology General Habit

Commonly 1–3 ft. high, sometimes taller

Morphology Leaves

Leaves sometimes variegated

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers small, pink or purplish in dense villous spike-like racemes which may be over a foot long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits small, pearly-grey

Ecology

In grassland.

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/19891465/20159472

Conservation

LC - least concern