Dolichos sericeus

Dolichos sericeus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Dolichos
Species:
D. sericeus
Binomial name
Dolichos sericeus

Dolichos sericeus is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae.[1][2] It is a perennial climbing or prostrate shrub.[3]

Description

Dolichos sericeus is a shrub that can grow up to 1.2 m (3.9 ft) long, the stem is slender and twining and covered in densely appressed or spreading hairs.[4] Leaves are tri-foliate, petiolate and stipulate.[4] Leaflets are broadly ovate to elliptic, up to 72 mm long and 40 mm wide and like its stem it is densely covered in hairs.[4] Flowers are arranged in racemes, its peduncle is up to 35 mm (1.4 in) long holding 2 - 10 flowers, corolla is purple or pink gradually turning creamy with age. Fruit is crescent shaped, 6 to many seeded.[4]

Subspecies

  • Dolichos sericeus subsp. formosus (Hochst. ex A.Rich.) Verdc.[1]
  • Dolichos sericeus subsp. glabrescens Verdc.
  • Dolichos sericeus subsp. pseudofalcatus Verdc.
  • Dolichos sericeus subsp. sericeus

Distribution

Dolichos sericeus is native to Tropical Africa, it is distributed in the horn of Africa, eastern and southern Africa and also occurring in Nigeria and Cameroon.[1] Found in forest margins, prefers sandy or loamy soil.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Dolichos sericeus E.Mey". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Dolichos sericeus E.Mey". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  3. ↑ Germishuizen, G.; Clark, R. P. (2023), "Dolichos FABACEAE", in Eggli, Urs; Nyffeler, Reto (eds.), Dicotyledons: Rosids, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 661–663, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-93492-7_64, ISBN 978-3-030-93491-0, retrieved 2024-05-24
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Moteetee, A.N.; Van Wyk, B.-E. (2012). "A revision of the genus Dolichos (Fabaceae, Papilionoideae, Phaseoleae), including Lesotho and Swaziland". South African Journal of Botany. 78: 178–194. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2011.06.012.