Mucuna poggei Taub.
var. pesa (De Wild.) Verdc.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Below Mt Namuli, Mozambique.

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Synonyms:	Mucuna pesa De Wild.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Robust climber or liane, older stems woody, up to 20 cm in diameter. Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets rhombic, ovate or obovate, up to 19 × 15 cm, sparsely appressed hairy above, densely grey hairy below. Inflorescences axillary, pendulous many-flowered racemes, up to 30 cm long; peduncle up to 20 cm long. Calyx densely velvety and covered with orange-red irritant bristly hairs. Flowers c. 5 cm long, greenish-white to yellowish. Pods up to 20 cm long, somewhat flattened, densely covered in orange-brown, highly irritant hairs, indehiscent.
Notes:	Note: in flower this taxon is almost indistinguishable from Mucuna ferox, which can be found in the same areas and habitats. In fruit, that species has narrower pods, which are readily dehiscent.
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	In Brachystegia-Uapaca woodland and riverine and evergreen forest margins.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	DRC, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Mozambique distribution:	Z,T,MS
Growth form(s):	Climber, liane.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Sunday 12 October 2008
Literature:	Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 40 - 41. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 164. Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989). The flora and phytogeography of the evergreen forests of Malawi. I: Afromontane and mid-altitude forests; Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 59(1/2) Page 24. As Mucuna poggei Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 224. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 247. Mackinder, B. et al. (2001). Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(5) Pages 16 - 17. 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 50. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 101.

Other sources of information about Mucuna poggei var. pesa:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Mucuna poggei var. pesa
Flora of Zambia: Mucuna poggei var. pesa
Flora of Zimbabwe: Mucuna poggei var. pesa

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Mucuna poggei
African Plant Database: Mucuna poggei
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Mucuna poggei
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Mucuna poggei
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Mucuna poggei
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Mucuna poggei
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Mucuna poggei
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network): Mucuna poggei
iNaturalist: Mucuna poggei
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Mucuna poggei
JSTOR Plant Science: Mucuna poggei
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Mucuna poggei
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Mucuna poggei
Plants of the World Online: Mucuna poggei
Tropicos: Mucuna poggei
Wikipedia: Mucuna poggei