Abrus fruticulosus Wall. ex Wight & Arn.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Mazowe River, Maramba CL

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Synonyms:	Abrus acutifolius Blume ex Miq. Abrus precatorius L. var. villosula Miq. Abrus schimperi Baker Abrus schimperi Baker subsp. africanus (Vatke) Verdc. Abrus schimperi Baker subsp. oblongus Verdc. Hoepfneria africana Vatke
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Woody shrub up to c. 3.5 m tall. Leaves with 7-17 pairs of leaflets; leaflets oblong. Inflorescences terminal and in the upper axils, variable in length, 2-26 cm long. Corolla cream, yellow, pale purple, mauve, blue or light violet, wings usually darker than the standard, 8-14 mm long. Pods oblong to oblanceolate, 5.4-8 cm long, somewhat woody and more or less conspicuously tuberculate.
Type location:	India
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	On stony river banks, hill slopes and in riverine thickets.
Altitude range: (metres)	300 - 1260 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Benin, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Gabon, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, India, southeastern China and the Andaman Islands. Introduced i
National distribution:	T,MS
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Monday 29 February 2016
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 213 - 215. as Abrus schimperi subsp. africanus and subsp oblongus Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 278. as Abrus schimperi subsp. africanus (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 216. as Abrus schimperi subsp. africanus and subsp oblongus Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 247. as Abrus schimperi subsp. africanus and subsp oblongus 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 46. as Abrus schimperi subsp. africanus and subsp oblongus

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Flora of Malawi: Abrus fruticulosus
Flora of Zambia: Abrus fruticulosus
Flora of Zimbabwe: Abrus fruticulosus

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