Uraria picta (Jacq.) DC.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Nhambita near Gorongosa National Park.

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Synonyms:	Hedysarum pictum Jacq.
Common names:
Frequency:	Rare
Status:	Native
Description:	Tall perennial herb, up to 1.8 m tall. Stems with short, rough hairs. Leaves imparipinnate with 5-9 leaflets (lowermost leaves often 1-3-foliolate); leaflets narrowly lanceolate, 7-25 cm long (lowermost smaller), often variegated, shiny and hairless above, rough hairy below; margins entire. Inflorescence a long terminal densely many-flowered spike-like raceme, up to 55 cm long, covered in long whitish hairs. Flowers pink, bluish or reddish. Fruit 5-9 mm long, folded into 3-6 segments, brown to black, turning greyish-white when old.
Notes:	Although a widespread species, very few specimens from the region, are present in herbaria. The only record for Zimbabwe is that of Alistair Hull, the details of which are set out in Note 7.
Derivation of specific name:	picta: brilliantly marked, ornamental (in this case referring to the variegated leaves)
Habitat:	In floodplains and marshy areas in woodland and grasslands.
Altitude range: (metres)	30 - 2400 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in tropical Africa, Asia and northern Australia.
Zimbabwe distribution:	N
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Saturday 11 October 2008
Literature:	Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 52. Verdcourt, B. (2000). Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(6) Pages 34 - 35. (Includes a picture).

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Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Uraria picta
Flora of Malawi: Uraria picta
Flora of Mozambique: Uraria picta

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Uraria picta
African Plant Database: Uraria picta
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Uraria picta
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Uraria picta
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Uraria picta
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Uraria picta
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Uraria picta
JSTOR Plant Science: Uraria picta
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Uraria picta
Plants of the World Online: Uraria picta
Tropicos: Uraria picta
Wikipedia: Uraria picta