Dolichos brevidentatus
Selected images: Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record View all images (6)
Habit
Degraded miombo woodland
Chingola District
Nov 2025
Photo: Nick Wightman
Leaf
Degraded miombo woodland
Chingola District
Nov 2025
Photo: Nick Wightman
Flower
Degraded miombo woodland
Chingola District
Nov 2025
Photo: Nick Wightman
Flower
Degraded miombo woodland
Chingola District
Nov 2025
Photo: Nick Wightman
Flower
Degraded miombo woodland
Chingola District
Nov 2025
Photo: Nick Wightman
Pod
Degraded miombo woodland
Chingola District
Nov 2025
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: |
Dolichos pseudocajanus var. paniculatus R.Wilczek |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | Locally common |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Erect herb to 1.3 m tall, arising from a perennial tuberous or woody rootstock. Stems annual, angled, sometimes ribbed, sparsely to densely white or golden pilose, young stems pale green becoming dark grey. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; leaflets narrowly elliptic, elliptic or ovate, pubescent on both surfaces, reddish-black gland-dotted on the upper surface, with black glands on the leaflet lower surface, hence the upper surface is paler; terminal leaflet 2-7.3 × 1.1-4 cm, lateral leaflets 1.6-6.6 × 0.8-3.2 cm; petiole 0.5-6.2 cm long; rhachis 0.5-2.5 cm long; petiolules 2-5 mm long; stipules 6-12 × 2-4 mm, lanceolate, pubescent, striate, usually caducous; stipels 2 mm long. Inflorescences consisting of short, lax axillary pseudoracemes, sometimes aggregated into axillary and terminal congested panicles; peduncle of the pseudoraceme 4-22 mm long; rhachis of the pseudoraceme 3-50 mm long; peduncle of the panicle 4-12 mm long; rhachis of the panicle 5-55 mm long; pedicels 1-6(8) mm long, white pilose; bracts absent; bracteoles minute, caducous. Calyx pilose with gold coloured or white hairs; tube 3 mm long; lobes minute, 1-1.5 mm long, upper pair fused along most of their length. Standard purple, sometimes tinged greenish or yellowish outside with deep purple veining inside, 5-9 × 5-8 mm, almost round; wings and keel pale green or yellow, tinged with purple. Ovary 4 mm long, linear-oblong, compressed, white pilose; style 3 mm long; stigma minute, terminal, capitate, penicillate. Pods 1.5-3.1 × 0.6-1.6 cm, narrowly oblong, falcate, densely golden pilose, 4-5-seeded. Seeds reddish-brown speckled black, 4 × 3 × 2 mm; aril narrowly elliptic, creamy-white. |
| Type location: |
DRC, Katanga |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | brevidentatus: short toothed |
| Habitat: | Miombo woodland and open woodland |
| Altitude range: (metres) | |
| Flowering time: | Nov - Feb |
| Worldwide distribution: | DRC and Zambia |
| FZ divisions: | B,W |
| Zambian distribution (Provinces): | Nw,W |
| Growth form(s): | Perennial. |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Images last updated: | Tuesday 3 March 2026 |
| Literature: |
Mackinder, B. et al. (2001). Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(5) Pages 100 - 101. |
Other sources of information about Dolichos brevidentatus:
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Dolichos brevidentatusAfrican Plant Database: Dolichos brevidentatus
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Dolichos brevidentatus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Dolichos brevidentatus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Dolichos brevidentatus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Dolichos brevidentatus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Dolichos brevidentatus
JSTOR Plant Science: Dolichos brevidentatus
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Dolichos brevidentatus
Plants of the World Online: Dolichos brevidentatus
Tropicos: Dolichos brevidentatus
Wikipedia: Dolichos brevidentatus