3718.020 Ophrestia H.M.L. Forbes

Mackinder, B. et al. (2001) Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(5)

Description of the genus

Climbing or trailing herbs, rarely ± erect. Leaves 1-foliolate (in the species occurring in Zimbabwe), sometimes 3-5-foliolate elsewhere. Flowers borne in axillary false racemes or almost sessile axillary clusters. Calyx 5-lobed; lobes ± equal; upper pair free or joined for up to 2/3rds the length. Standard silky- or bristly-hairy outside. Ovules 2-8. Pods oblong, flattened.

Worldwide: 13 species in the tropics of the Old World

Zambia: 6 taxa.

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

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
breviracemosa Verdc.  [VU]W
radicosa (A.Rich.) Verdc. var. enneaneura (Hauman) Verd. W,S
radicosa (A.Rich.) Verdc. var. schliebenii (Harms) Verdc. N,W
torrei Verdc. W
unicostata (F.J.Herm.) Verdc.  [DD]N
unifoliolata (Baker f.) Verdc.W

Other sources of information about Ophrestia:

Our websites:

Flora of Burundi: Ophrestia
Flora of the DRC: Ophrestia
Flora of Malawi: Ophrestia
Flora of Rwanda: Ophrestia
Flora of Zimbabwe: Ophrestia

External websites:

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

Copyright: Mike Bingham, Annette Willemen, Nicholas Wightman, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Mark Hyde, 2011-25

Bingham, M.G., Willemen, A., Wightman, N., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. and Hyde, M.A. (2025). Flora of Zambia: Genus page: Ophrestia.
https://www.zambiaflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=728, retrieved 5 December 2025

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