Rhynchosia senna Gillies ex Hook.

  • Authority

    Grear, John W. 1978. A revision of the New World species of Rhynchosia (Leguminosae-Faboideae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 31 (1): 1-168.

  • Family

    Fabaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Rhynchosia senna Gillies ex Hook.

  • Description

    Species Description - Herb, 40-100 cm, from long, woody rootstock, the stems prostrate, twining and suberect or ascending, one to several, branching, terete or subterete, villous, villosulose, strigulose or puberulous (the hairs silvery) becoming glabrate on older stems. Stipules linear, linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, acute or acuminate, villosulose, persistent, 1.5-4 mm long, 0.5-1.5 mm wide. Petioles 3-35(-40) mm, villous, villosulose, strigulose or puberulous. Leaflets 3, coriaceous or subcoriaceous, margins revolute, ovate to lanceolate-ovate to rhombic or oblong to lanceolate, mucronate, acute or obtuse, base obtuse, subcordate or truncate, 0.5-4.5(-5) cm long, 0.2-2.3 cm wide, puberulous, strigulose or villosulose above, villous or villosulose, puberulous or strigulose beneath, gland-dotted above and beneath, terminal petiolule 2-13(-20) mm, the laterals subobsolete to 1 mm, stipels setiform, obscure to 1 mm. Inflorescences fasciculate, 6-25 mm, few-flowered (1-4), unbranched, shorter than the leaves, peduncle subobsolete to 5 mm, pedicels slender, 1-12 mm. Bracts setose, linear or narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, caducous, 0.5-3 mm long, 0.5-1 mm wide. Calyx less than or equal to the corolla, villous or villosulose, 3-9 mm, tube 1.5-3.5 mm, lobes subulate to lanceolate, acute to lanceolate and acuminate, 1-6 mm, vexillar sinus 0.5-4 mm. Corolla yellow, often striped brown, 5-10 mm. Standard widely ovate, obovate or suborbicular, emarginate, gland-dotted and villosulose or puberulous, 5-9 mm long, 3.5-7.5 mm wide, auricles 0.5-1 mm, claw 1-2 mm. Wings oblong to ovate or elliptic, glabrous, villosulose or puberulous, 5-7 mm long, 1-2.5 mm wide, claw 1.5-2 mm. Keel blades falcate, glabrous, 5-8 mm long, 2-3.5 mm wide, claw 1.5-2.5 mm. Stamens 4-8 mm. Fruits acinaciform, compressed, villosulose, puberulous or puberulous with scattered longer hairs, gland-dotted, 1.5-3 cm long, 4-9 mm wide, beak 1-3 mm. Seeds suborbicular, compressed, brown, black or mottled, 3-5 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, hilum ovate, 0.5-1 mm, strophiole lobes cuneate.