3897.000 Rhynchosia Lour.

Mackinder, B. et al. (2001) Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(5)

Description of the genus

Climbing or prostrate, rarely erect, herbs or subshrubs. Stipules present. Leaves 1-or 3-foliolate; leaflets usually with conspicuous resinous gland-dots beneath. Flowers spreading. Calyx 5-lobed, lobes unequal, the upper pair ± joined. Corolla frequently yellow, lined with brownish-purple. Ovary (1-)2-ovulate. Pods 3-4 × as long as broad, almost circular to narrowly oblong, flattened, often falcate, frequently glandular and velvety. Seeds flattened-spherical or subreniform; funicle inserted at middle of the circular hilum.

Derivation of name: Gk. rhynchos, a beak, snout or horn, referring to the keel of the flowers

Worldwide: c. 300 species, tropics

Zambia: 34 taxa.

Insects associated with this genus:
Leptotes group (Blues) Food plant
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Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
buchananii HarmsC,E,SDescription
castroi Baker f.B,C
clivorum S. Moore subsp. pycnantha (Harms) Verdc.EDescription, Image
densiflora (Roth) DC. subsp. chrysadenia (Taub.) Verdc.
densiflora (Roth) DC. subsp. debilis (G.Don) Verdc. B,C,S
divaricata BakerDescription, Image
elegans A.Rich. var. elegans
goetzei HarmsN,W
heterophylla Hauman W,S
hirta (Andrews) Meikle & Verdc.N,W,C,SDescription, Image
holosericea SchinzB
insignis (O. Hoffm) R.E. Fr.B,N,W,C,EDescription, Image
luteola (Hiern) K. Schum. var. luteola N
luteola (Hiern) Schumann var. verdickii (De Wild.) Verdc. W,C,S
luteola (Hiern) K. Schum. var. velutina Verdc.N
micrantha Harms
minima (L.) DC.[Agg]B,N,W,E,SDescription, Image
minima (L.) DC. var. pedicellata Verdc. CDescription
minima (L.) DC. var. prostrata (Harv.) MeikleN,W,C,E,S
minima (L.) DC. var. minima B,N,C,E,S
monophylla Schltr.N,W,CDescription, Image
nyasica BakerN,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
nyikensis Baker EDescription, Image
procurrens (Hiern) K. Schum. subsp. floribunda (Baker) Verdc.N,W,C,E,S
procurrens (Hiern) K.Schum. subsp. latisepala (Hauman) Verdc. N
procurrens (Hiern) K.Schum. subsp. procurrens B,N,W,C
pseudoteramnoides Hauman
resinosa (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) BakerN,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
stipitata Verdc.B,SDescription, Image
sublobata (Schumach. & Thonn.) MeikleB,C,E,SDescription, Image
totta (Thunb.) DC. var. fenchelii SchinzB,N,SDescription
viscosa (Roth) DC. subsp. viscosa var. viscosa N,C,E
wildii Verdc.SImage
zernyi Harms N

Other sources of information about Rhynchosia:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Rhynchosia
Flora of Burundi: Rhynchosia
Flora of Caprivi: Rhynchosia
Flora of Malawi: Rhynchosia
Flora of Mozambique: Rhynchosia
Flora of Zimbabwe: Rhynchosia
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Rhynchosia

External websites:

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

Copyright: Mike Bingham, Annette Willemen, Nicholas Wightman, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Mark Hyde, 2011-25

Bingham, M.G., Willemen, A., Wightman, N., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. and Hyde, M.A. (2025). Flora of Zambia: Genus page: Rhynchosia.
https://www.zambiaflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=770, retrieved 2 April 2025

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