Tephrosia radicans Welw. ex Baker

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Tephrosia radicans

Habit
Ruderal of disturbed ground
Dabuyu Farms, Lilayi, Lusaka District
Sep 2023
Photo: Nick Wightman

Tephrosia radicans

Habit
Ruderal of disturbed ground
Dabuyu Farms, Lilayi, Lusaka District
Sep 2023
Photo: Nick Wightman

Tephrosia radicans

Leaves
Ruderal of disturbed ground
Dabuyu Farms, Lilayi, Lusaka District
Sep 2023
Photo: Nick Wightman

Tephrosia radicans

Inflorescence
Ruderal of disturbed ground
Dabuyu Farms, Lilayi, Lusaka District
Sep 2023
Photo: Nick Wightman

Tephrosia radicans

Flower
Ruderal of disturbed ground
Dabuyu Farms, Lilayi, Lusaka District
Sep 2023
Photo: Nick Wightman

Tephrosia radicans

Flower
Ruderal of disturbed ground
Dabuyu Farms, Lilayi, Lusaka District
Sep 2023
Photo: Nick Wightman

Tephrosia radicans

Flower
Ruderal of disturbed ground
Dabuyu Farms, Lilayi, Lusaka District
Sep 2023
Photo: Nick Wightman

Tephrosia radicans

Pods
Ruderal of disturbed ground
Dabuyu Farms, Lilayi, Lusaka District
Sep 2023
Photo: Nick Wightman

Tephrosia radicans

Seeds
Ruderal of disturbed ground
Dabuyu Farms, Lilayi, Lusaka District
Oct 2023
Photo: Nick Wightman

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

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.
Type location:
Angola
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: radicans: rooting or putting forth roots and referring to the stems ability to root at nodes
Habitat: Open ground and grassy places, particularly on sandy soil, often a weed of roadsides and disturbed ground
Altitude range: 450 - 1700 m
Flowering time:Mar - Oct
Worldwide distribution: Nigeria, Angola, DRC, Zambia, Tanzania south through Malawi, Zimbabwe to Namibia and northern South Africa
Zambian distribution (Flora Zambesiaca): B,N,W,C,S
Zambian distribution (Provinces): Cb,N,Lk,S,W
Growth form(s): Perennial.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Monday 30 October 2023
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 Zimbabwe: 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


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: Species information: Tephrosia radicans.
https://www.zambiaflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=129940, retrieved 29 March 2024

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