Flora Zambesiaca
Taxon Detail
FZ volume:3 part:3 (2007) Leguminosae by R.K. Brummitt, D.K. Harder, G.P. Lewis, J.M. Lock, R.M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt
(Search other Kew databases for: Tephrosia chimanimaniana)
Tephrosia chimanimaniana Brummitt
in Bol. Soc. Brot., sér.2, 41: 365 (1968). Type: Zimbabwe, Chimanimani Dist., Chimanimani Mtns, among quartzite crags, fl. 20.viii.1954, Wild 4589 (K holotype, PRE, SRGH).
Synonyms:
Tephrosia aequilata
sensu Goodier & Phipps in Kirkia 1: 56 (1961).
Tephrosia nyasae
sensu Baker f. in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 40: 54 (1911); Legum. Trop. Africa: 212 (1926) as regard Swynnerton. —sensu Eyles in Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Africa 5: 375 (1916).
Distribution:
Zimbabwe
E: Chimanimani Dist., Chimanimani Mts., Long Gully, fl. 29.v.1959, Noel 2023 (SRGH).
Range:
Endemic to the Chimanimani Mountains
Habitat:
where it occurs from the foot of the first range to the quartzite crags; up to at least 2135 m.
Description:
Shrub 0.3–2 m high. Young branches densely brown or greyish spreading-pubescent to tomentose. Leaves with (5)7–12 pairs of leaflets; petiole and rachis ± appressed to spreading-tomentose, the hairs sometimes noticeably unequal; leaflets up to 25(30) × 8(10) mm, somewhat leathery, elliptic-oblong, rounded at the base, rounded to truncate at the apex, strongly mucronate, the margins somewhat incurved towards the upper surface, upper surface glabrous, lower surface densely appressed-pubescent and often subsericeous; stipules 4–5 × 1–1.5 mm, narrowly triangular. Flowers in subspherical terminal heads exceeded by the leaves; bracts large and usually conspicuous, up to 14 × 9 mm, suborbicular and long-acuminate, densely brown tomentose to villous, often interspersed with long whitish hairs; pedicels 5–7 mm long, whitish villous. Calyx 7–10 mm long, densely brown to whitish villous, the teeth longer than the campanulate part, the lower one very slightly longer than the others, the two upper teeth not or very slightly fused. Petals 13–15 mm long, purplish or sometimes blue; standard subrectangular to suborbicular, truncate to slightly cordate at the base; lower margin of keel curved ± through 90°. Stamen tube c.9 mm long. Ovary appressed-pubescent, style pubescent. Pod not seen.
