Tephrosia radicans Welw. ex Baker

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Photo: Nicholas Wightman
Dabuyu Farms, Lilayi, Lusaka District, Lusaka Province

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Synonyms:	Cracca radicans (Baker) Kuntze Tephrosia radicans var. rhodesia Baker Tephrosia rensburgii Verdcourt
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Perennial, with numerous prostrate branches up to 160 cm long, the older parts often woody, arising from a woody vertical rootstock, the whole usually forming a dense mat. Stems usually conspicuously spreading-pubescent. Leaves pinnate with (2)3–4(5) pairs of leaflets; rachis and petiole together up to 3.5(5) cm long, the petiole up to 1.3(1.7) cm long, rather conspicuously spreading-pubescent; leaflets up to 22(33) × 12(17) mm, often becoming smaller towards the leaf base, obovate to obtriangular, rounded to truncate or emarginate at the apex, cuneate at the base, the upper surface glabrous, the lower surface appressed-pubescent; stipules 3–5(6) × 2–3 mm, ovate-acuminate to lanceolate. Flowers in terminal racemes up to 5(7) cm long, subsessile or with a peduncle up to 4 cm, rarely the lowermost flower in the axil of a foliage leaf; bracts ovate-lanceolate; pedicels (3)4–7(8) mm long. Calyx 4–6 mm long, appressed or spreading-pubescent, teeth about equalling the tube or the lower one somewhat longer, the two upper ones joined for about ½–¾ their length. Petals (7)10–14 mm long, mauve or pink; standard broadly rounded, cuneate or truncate at the base. Ovary whitish pubescent; style pubescent. Pod (7)12–22 × 6–8 mm, oblong, shortly pubescent, or glabrescent at maturity. Seeds (1)2–4(5), 3–4 mm long, reniform to suborbicular-lenticular, greyish- or reddish-brown.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	radicans: rooting or putting forth roots and referring to the stems ability to root at nodes
Habitat:
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:	Mar - Oct
Worldwide distribution:	Nigeria, Angola, DRC, Zambia, Tanzania south through Malawi, Zimbabwe to Namibia and northern South Africa
Zimbabwe distribution:	N,W,C,E,S
Growth form(s):	Perennial.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Brummitt, R.K., Harder, D.K., Lewis, G.P., Lock, J.M., Polhill, R.M. & Verdcourt, B. (2007). Leguminosae Subfamily Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(3) Pages 197 - 198. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 35. Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 228. 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.

Other sources of information about Tephrosia radicans:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Tephrosia radicans
Flora of Zambia: Tephrosia radicans

External websites:

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