Tephrosia aequilata Baker

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Saddle between upper Nhandar and Vanduzi rivers, Mt Gorongosa.

Photo: Bart Wursten
Upper Jizira Valley, Mt Gorongosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along northern loop, Nyika National Park

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Synonyms:	subsp. australis Brummitt subsp. nyasae (Baker f.) Brummitt subsp. mlanjeana Brummitt subsp. namuliana Brummitt subsp. gorongosana Brummitt Tephrosia meyeri-johannis Taub. Tephrosia nyasae Baker f. Tephrosia zombensis Baker
Common names:
Frequency:	Locally frequent
Status:	Native
Description:	Usually a small shrub, less than 2m high, rarely taller or a small tree up to 5m. Young stems densely appressed hairy. Leaves imparipinnate, usually with 6-10 pairs of leaflets; petiole and rhachis appressed hairy. Leaflets up to 5 cm long, elliptic-oblong or oblanceolate, more or less mucronate at the apex, more or less thinly and finely silvery appressed hairy above, more densely so beneath; margin sometimes rolled under, except near the base and apex. Stipules 1.5-8 mm broad, triangular to ovate. Flowers in dense racemose heads,bracts persitent during flowering, all parts except petals densely brown or greyish hairy. Pods 2-4 cm long, more or less appressed bronze-brown hairy.
Notes:	A very variable species with a number of subspecies formerly described, often from different, isolated populations. The distinguishing characteristics, however, rarely appear to be constant and many intermediates are known and these dividing taxa are therefore no longer recognized.
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	In rocky places in montane grassland, along forest margins and on mountain slopes.
Altitude range:	Up to 2200 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Southern Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and northern South Africa.
Mozambique distribution:	N,Z,MS
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Thursday 19 April 2012
Literature:	Brummitt, R.K., Harder, D.K., Lewis, G.P., Lock, J.M., Polhill, R.M. & Verdcourt, B. (2007). Leguminosae Subfamily Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(3) Pages 187 - 189. Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 169. as Tephrosia aequilata australis Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 337. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 54. As Tephrosia aequilata aequilata Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 72. Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 227. As: Tephrosia aequilata australis Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 245. As Tephrosia aequilata australis Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 51. as subsp. australis Brummitt Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 65. Strugnell, A.M. (2002). Endemics of Mt. Mulanje. The endemic spermatophytes of Mt. Mulanje, Malawi Systematics and Geography of Plants 72 Page 20. as Tephrosia aequilata subsp. mlanjeana Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 103. as Tephrosia aequilata mlanjeana Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 94.

Other sources of information about Tephrosia aequilata:

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Flora of Burundi: Tephrosia aequilata
Flora of Malawi: Tephrosia aequilata
Flora of Zambia: Tephrosia aequilata
Flora of Zimbabwe: Tephrosia aequilata

External websites:

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