Aeschynomene nivea Brandegee
-
Authority
Rudd, Velva E. 1955. The American species of Aeschynomene. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 32: 1-172.
-
Family
Fabaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Type
Type locality: La Purísima, Baja California, México. Type collected by Brandegee, Feb. 12, 1889, cited below.
-
Description
Description - Shrub, 1-3 m. tall; stem silvery-sericeous; stipules linear, acuminate, 4-5 mm. long, about 0.5 wide at base, sericeous; leaves as much as 8 cm. long, about 30-60-foliolate; leaflets obliquely linear-oblong, subfalcate, about 4-10 mm. long, 1-2 mm. wide, entire, acute, sericeous, the costa marginal; pedicels sericeous and also hispidulous; bracts and bracteoles deltoid, acute, 1.5-2 mm. long, about 1 mm. wide at base; flowers about 10-13 mm. long; calyx about 5 mm. long, sericeous and ciliate; petals drying to a chocolate brown color; standard commonly about 10 mm. long, the claw 2 mm. long, the blade orbiculate, about 8 mm. in diameter, entire, retuse; wings and keel about as long as the standard, the wing blades about 4 mm. wide, the keel blades about 2 mm. wide; stamens 8-10 mm. long; fruit 1-3-articuIate, the stipe 5-6 mm. long, the articles 7-10 mm. long, about 5 mm. wide, sericeous, reticulate-veiny; seeds 5-6 mm. long, about 3 mm. wide, light brown.
-
Discussion
This species, with its silvery-sericeous indument, fairly large flowers, and numerous small, subfalcate leaflets with marginal costae, is both showy and distinctive. It is one of the two species of Aeschynomene known to occur in Lower California and apparently is an endemic. The other species, Ae. vigil, has much broader leaflets and is not likely to be confused with Ae. nivea.