Vigna unguiculata subsp. pubescens (R.Wilczek) Pasquet

First published in Bull. Jard. Bot. Natl. Belg. 62: 164 (1993)
This subspecies is accepted
The native range of this subspecies is South Sudan to Mozambique. It is an annual or perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Morphology General Habit
Annual/Perennial, Climbing/Not climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

Seed Collecting Guide. RBG Kew (2013-2016)

Morphology General Habit
Annual or Perrenial-stem stout, densely pubescent with short appressed white hairs
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
rhachis of inflorescence 2-6.5 cm long, 5-12-noded, internodes 6-15 mm long, pubescent. flower 17-24 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
calyx pubescent; lobes 1.5-5 mm long, deltate. keel slightly incurved towards the right (while looking at the keel from the standard), the beak short
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
ovary 13-17 ovuled
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
pod covered with a short dense and appressed pubescence of tubercle-based hairs.
Ecology
grassland and savanna, usually near water. altitude0 - 1200 m
Distribution
Tropical Africa from drc to Kenya, and South as far as Mozambique.
Conservation
least concerned
Phenology
Flower (august - february), fruit (august - april)
[SCG]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial climbing herb 1–2 m. long.
Morphology Stem
Stems densely pubescent with short white hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaflets 3, ovate to lanceolate in outline, the laterals oblique, 5–10 cm. long, 1–5 cm. wide, terminal leaflet subhastate to deeply 3-lobed, laterals lobed on outer side only, rounded to subacute and mucronate at the apex, rounded to acute at the base, pubescent on both surfaces; petiole 2–7 cm. long; rhachis 0·6–1·5 cm. long; petiolules 2–3 mm. long; stipules submedifixed, ovate-lanceolate, 1·5–2·6 cm. long, 4–8 mm. wide, acuminate, constricted at the point of attachment, the spur 4–9 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary; rhachis 1–2·5 cm. long; peduncle 7–54 cm. long; pedicels 1–2 mm. long; bracts oblong-lanceolate, subspathulate, 4–5 mm. long; bracteoles ± persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx pubescent or glabrescent; tube 2–3 mm. long; lobes deltoid, 2–4 mm. long, acuminate, upper pair joined for ± half their length to form a broad lobe, bifid at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard purple, obovate-oblate, 1·3–2·2 cm. long, 1·5–2·4 cm. wide, ± emarginate, glabrous; wings purple; keel paler, the beak rather short, somewhat incurved but not twisted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods held erect, linear-cylindrical, 5–8 cm. long, 2–4 mm. wide, covered with a short dense often ferruginous pubescence of tubercle-based hairs, 15–18-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds dark red with black speckling, oblong-reniform or oblong, longest dimension 3–4·7 mm., shorter dimension 2·5–3·5 mm., 1·5–2·5 mm. thick; hilum small, eccentric; rim-aril narrowly developed.
Habitat
Bushland, grassland, grassland with scattered trees; 0–1000 m. or perhaps more
Distribution
K5 K7 T3 T4 T6 T8 U3
[FTEA]

Sources

  • 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 Vascular Plants 2025. 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 2025. 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
  • Seed Collection Guides

    • Seed Collection Guides
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0