Centrosema
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 2005. Vines and climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 51: 1-483.
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Family
Fabaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Description - Herbaceous vines, twining. Leaves alternate, trifoliolate; stipels present; stipules minute, persistent. Flowers axillary, solitary or grouped on a bracteate peduncle; bracts appressed to the calyx; pedicels more or less elongate. Calyx campanulate, the lobes 5. unequal or almost equal; corolla pink, lavender, or white, the standard ovate or rounded, unguiculate, the wings and the keel of similar size, shorter than the standard; stamens 10, diadelphous or monadelphous; ovary superior, almost sessile, with numerous ovules, the style curved, pubescent, the stigma capitate or truncate. Fruit a linear legume, flattened, with the margins ribbed, dehiscent by valves that twist on drying, not septate between the seeds; seeds numerous, small, oblong. A genus of about 45 species, of pantropical distribution.