Smithia Aiton

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)

Description of the genus

Erect or decumbent herbs or subshrubs. Leaves pinnately 6–12-foliolate; leaflets opposite, ± asymmetric at the base, with a single centrally placed main nerve; stipules membranous, persistent; stipels absent. Inflorescence axillary, usually dense, ± umbel-like scorpioid cymes; bracts entire, scarious, brownish, shorter than the flowers and soon falling; bracteoles present, scarious, inserted below the calyx, persistent. Calyx scarious, 2-lipped; lips entire or slightly toothed; corolla small, usually red or blue.Standard rounded or obovate, often emarginate; wings oblong, obliquely appendaged at the base, with a series of small pockets, free; keel petals with a lateral appendage almost equalling the claw. Ovary linear, shortly stipitate, 2–9-ovuled. Fruit stipitate, folded like a concertina, included in the persistent accrescent calyx, articulate; segments rounded, indehiscent. Seeds mostly compressed-reniform.

Worldwide: About 30 species in the Old World Tropics, mostly Asia and Madagascar.

Zambia: 1 taxon.

No image yet

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsProvincesContent
elliotii Baker f. var. elliotii N,W,CNw,N,C

Other sources of information about Smithia:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Smithia
Flora of Mozambique: Smithia

External websites:

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

Copyright: Mike Bingham, Annette Willemen, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Mark Hyde, 2011-24

Bingham, M.G., Willemen, A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. and Hyde, M.A. (2024). Flora of Zambia: Genus page: Smithia.
https://www.zambiaflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=2274, retrieved 29 March 2024

Site software last modified: 12 October 2020 11:16pm
Terms of use