Home | > | List of families | > | Fabaceae subfamily Papilionoideae | > | Aeschynomene | > | nyassana |
Synonyms: | |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Small shrub, growing from a woody rootstock. Stems several, mostly erect, 15-300 cm tall, hairless to densely covered in sticky glandular hairs. Plants often flowering early when still nearly leafless. Leaves 3-25 cm long, pinnate with 7-40 pairs of leaflets; leaflets 6-24 mm long oblong to ovate-oblong, mucronulate at the apex, hairless; stipules 7-24 mm long linear-lanceolate to ovate. Inflorescences terminal, many-flowered, branched, up to 35 cm long, and with shorter inflorescences from the upper leaf axils. Flowers pale yellow with purple veining; wings longer than the keel. Pods in 1-2 segments, each 12-27 × 9-13 mm, obovate, elliptic or semicircular, flat and papery, hairless or slightly pubescent on the margins. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | nyassana: of Nyasaland (now Malawi). |
Habitat: | Brachystegia woodland, grassland and bushland, often near swamps or dambos, sometimes in rocky places. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 60 - 2300 m |
Flowering time: | |
Worldwide distribution: | Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe; DR Congo, Tanzania, South Africa |
Zimbabwe distribution: | W,C,E |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 151. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 3. Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 216. 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 46. Verdcourt, B. (2000). Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(6) Pages 63 - 114. (Includes a picture). |
Home | > | List of families | > | Fabaceae subfamily Papilionoideae | > | Aeschynomene | > | nyassana |