Flora Zambesiaca

Taxon Detail

FZ volume:3 part:5 (2001) Leguminosae by B. Mackinder, R. Pasquet, R. Polhill and B. Verdcourt

(Search other Kew databases for: Erythrina latissima)

Erythrina latissima E. Mey.

Comment. Pl. Afr. Austr. 151 (1836). —Harvey in F.C. 2: 238 (1862). —Collett in Bothalia 4: 222 (1941). —Hennessy, South African Erythrinas: 12, t. 3 (1972). —Drummond in Kirkia 8: 220 (1972). —Jacobsen in Kirkia 9: 160 (1973). —Krukoff & Barneby in Lloydia 37: 427, fig. on p. 427 (1974); in Allertonia 3: 134, t. 111 (1982). —Lock, Leg. Afr. Check-list: 410 (1989). —Hennessy in Bothalia 21: 5, fig. 2 (1991). —Mackinder in Kirkia 14: 120 (1993). Type from South Africa (Eastern Cape).

Synonyms:

Chirocalyx mollissimus Meisn.

in Hooker, London J. Bot. 2: 98 (1843). Type from South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal).

Erythrina gibbsae Baker f.

Legum. Trop. Africa: 374 (1929). Type: Zimbabwe, Matopos Hills, Gibbs 73 (BM, holotype).

Erythrina sandersonii Harv.

Thes. Cap. 1: 39 (1859). Type from South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal).

Erythrina sp.

of Miller in J. S. African Bot. 18: 32 (1952).

Erythrina tomentosa

sensu J.G.Baker in F.T.A. 2: 184 (1871) quoad distr. extratropica. —sensu E.G. Baker in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 40: 57 (1911), non R. Br. ex A. Rich.

Distribution:

Botswana

N: Nswazwi (Maswazi), fr. xi.1948, O.B. Miller B/828 (FHO; K).

Mozambique

N: Ribáuè, fl. viii.1942, Gomes e Sousa 2314 (K; PRE).

T: Cahora Bassa Distr., Songo, fl. 12.xii.1973, Macêdo 5426 (LISC).

Zimbabwe

C: Marondera Distr., Grasslands Research Station, fl. 25.vii.1958, Corby 884 (K; SRGH).

E: Nyanga Distr., fr. 27.x.1930, Fries, Norlindh & Weimarck 2344 (K; PRE).

N: Zvimba Distr., c. 3.2 km west of Mutorashanga (Mtoroshanga) Village, fl. 15.ix.1963, Leach & Müller 11717 (K; SRGH).

S: Masvingo Distr., Mutirikwi Recreational Park (Kyle National Park), st. 16.iii.1961, Basera 223 (SRGH).

W: Matobo Distr., Two Tree Kop, fl. 27.ix.1951, Plowes 1264 (K; SRGH).

Range:

eastern parts of South Africa;  Swaziland; 

Habitat:

Scattered trees in deciduous woodland and wooded grassland, usually on granite and other rock outcrops 1000–1700 m.

Description:

Tree 3–8(10) m tall; bark dark grey, corky with deep longitudinal and transverse fissures; stems and branches armed with scattered large conical spines up to 1 cm long. Leaflets with scattered prickles along nerves; terminal leaflet deltate to oblate, often broader than long, 7–25 × 6–30 cm; laterals 6–22 × 7–22 cm, broadly ovate to deltate, the base often somewhat asymmetric; petiole 12–30 cm long, glabrous when mature, rarely with one or two prickles; rhachis 6–15 cm long, tomentose when young becoming glabrous; petiolules 4–20 mm long, tomentose; stipules 6–8 × 4–5 mm, ovate; stipels minute. Inflorescence a terminal pseudoraceme produced before or with young leaves; peduncle 15–24(30) cm long, densely pale tomentose; rhachis 4.5–9 cm long, with the flowers in fascicles; bracts 1.2–2 cm long, linear-obovate, densely white tomentose, membranous; pedicels 7–9 mm long, villous; bracteoles 1.4–2 cm long, linear, villous. Calyx spathaceous, 5-lobed, split fully abaxially by the emergent corolla; tube 1.3–3 cm long; lobes 7–18 mm long, narrowly-cylindrical to filiform; corolla scarlet save white margins of wings, glabrous; standard 4.5–5.5 × 2.8–3.3 cm, oblong-elliptic, reflexed back to expose the stamens; wings 2.2–2.5 × 1–1.2 cm; keel petals free, 1.7–2 × 1.3–1.5 cm. Vexillary stamen fused along a quarter of its length, others fused into a tube along one-third to half their length. Ovary 1.5–2 cm long, narrowly cylindrical-filiform. Pod 18–25 × 2–3 cm, falcate, moniliform becoming glabrous at maturity, (1)3–4(6)-seeded. Seeds red, reniform, 11–15 × 9–10 × 6–7 mm; hilum black, 7–8 mm long, broadly elliptic.

Notes:

Similar to some forms of E. abyssinica but distinguished by its larger flowers, larger seeds and more prickly leaves.Macêdo 5426 from Songo, Mozambique, was the only collection seen from Tete and had atypically chartaceous leaves.Erythrina zeyheri Harv. is reported from Zimbabwe and Botswana by Krukoff & Barneby (1974) and mapped by Hennessy (1991). Plowes 1383 and Eyles 7007, 4599 are vegetative collections from Zimbabwe previously determined as E. zeyheri Harv. but are almost certainly juvenile foliage of Erythrina latissima (R.B. Drummond, pers. comm.). No Botswana collections of E. zeyheri were seen, and specimens of this species labelled as coming from “Bechuanaland” probably refer to “British Bechuanaland” now part of the Northern Cape Province of South African. Taking into account its distribution in South Africa it is unlikely that E. zeyheri occurs in Botswana.