Rhynchosia divaricata Baker

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Chironde area, Coutada 12, Cheringoma

Photo: Nicholas Wightman
Kaputa GMA, Nsama District, Northern Province, Zambia

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Synonyms:
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Erect plant with seasonal stems up to 3 m long, arising from a woody rootstock, sometimes scrambling or climbing in the upper parts; stems shortly and densely hairy. Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets rhombic-ovate, 2–14 cm long; lateral leaflets asymmetrical, darker and pubescent to almost hairless above, more densely pubescent or greyish velvety and usually with scattered red glands beneath; venation raised and reticulate beneath; petiole 2–14 cm long; stipules oblong-lanceolate, 5–6 mm long, pubescent outside. Inflorescences axillary and terminal, mostly shorter than the leaves, usually branched; bracts elliptic to ovate-acuminate, 4.5–7.5 mm long, hairy outside, very quickly deciduous. Calyx pubescent and with some longer tubercular based hairs; tube 3.5 mm long; upper lobes joined to near apex to form a bifid lip 5 × 3.5 mm; laterals 3.1 × 1.1 mm, oblong-lanceolate; lowest lobe 5 × 1.1 mm, lanceolate. Standard narrowly obovate, 17–21 mm long, yellow or orange-yellow inside striated with red-purple veins, cream-coloured outside with maroon-purple veining, sparsely to densely pubescent with tubercular based hairs; wings and keel maroon-purple or orange-yellow above and maroon-purple in middle, c. 17 mm long. Pods oblanceolate-falcate, 2.8–3.8 cm long, very shortly pubescent and with longer yellow somewhat glandular-based hairs; seeds more or less in upper part.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	divaricata: widely spreading or divergent
Habitat:	Brachystegia woodland and other mixed deciduous woodland, and coastal forest
Altitude range:	60 - 1300 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Katanga DRC, southern Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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:	Wednesday 16 May 2018
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 167. 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 71. Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 226. Mackinder, B. et al. (2001). Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(5) Pages 189 - 190. 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. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 63.

Other sources of information about Rhynchosia divaricata:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Rhynchosia divaricata
Flora of Zambia: Rhynchosia divaricata
Flora of Zimbabwe: Rhynchosia divaricata

External websites:

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