Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone; grassland., Lake Victoria regional transition zone; grasslands, Somalia-Masai grasslands, Zambezian grassland, Sudanian grasslands

Morphology General Habit

Annual/Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub

Vernacular

Akatafotsy, Brusca Cimarrona, Faux Indigo, Gam-pila, Hora, Indigo, Indigo Rouge, Indigo Sauvage, Katafotsy, Kavilai, Kawati, Kimahandzy, Kolinchi, Makalala, Pila, Tephrosia, Tsarinetsy, Tuva, Russiakei

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit

Erect or spreading annual or short-lived perennial herb, up to 80(–150) cm. tall.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-rhachis up to 8 cm. long, including a petiole of under 1 cm., prolonged ± 3 mm. beyond the lateral leaflets; stipules narrowly triangular; leaflets 9–17(–21), elliptic-oblong, ± 2 cm. long and 6 mm. wide, truncate or rounded at the apex, shortly mucronate, sparsely striguloseto silky pubescent beneath; main nerves ± 7 on each side.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers reddish-purple or bright pink, in slender lax leaf-opposed pseudoracemes, a few also in the upper leaf-axils; bracts narrowly triangular, ± 4 mm. long; pedicels ± 4 mm. long, pubescent or strigulose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx brown, appressed strigulose to spreading pubescent; tube ±1.5 mm. long; teeth narrowly triangular, the lowest ± 3 mm., others ± 2 mm. long, upper pair ± one-third united.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard white pubescent outside, 6–9 mm. long and wide; keel glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Upper filament lightly attached, widened, but not bent or callous, 1.5 mm. above the base; filament-sheath ± 6 mm., free parts ± 2 mm., anthers 0.3 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style glabrous, linear, gently curved, ± 2.5 mm. long, not penicillate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod gently upcurved towards the tip, 4–4.5(–6) cm. long, ± 4(–6.5) mm. wide, shortly strigulose; distance between the centres of adjacent seeds greater than the width of the pod; pubescent style-base horizontal or gently downcurved.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 6–9, mottled, longitudinal, subcylindrical, ± 3 mm. by 1.5 mm.; hilum central, hardly arillate.

Distribution

Tropical Africa southwards to Natal, southern Asia, ? Australia, introduced in tropical America

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

barbasco

Flora Zambesiaca Leguminosae subfamily Papillionoideae by R.K. Brummitt

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial. Annual or perennial.

Morphology Stem

Stems procumbent, ascending or erect, up to 70(100) cm high or sometimes (subsp. altissima) up to 150 cm, sometimes woody in the lower parts and forming a low bush, appressed or spreading-pubescent to densely white- or silvery-grey pubescent and sericeous. Stems procumbent, ascending or erect, up to 70(100) cm high or sometimes (subsp. altissima) up to 150 cm, sometimes woody in the lower parts and forming a low bush, appressed or spreading-pubescent to densely white- or silvery-grey pubescent and sericeous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves pinnate with (3)4–10(11) pairs of leaflets; petiole 0.1–3.5 cm long, petiole and rachis together (1.5)3–10(13) cm long; leaflets (0.5)0.8–4(4.5) × (0.2)0.3–1(1.3) cm, elliptic or obovate to oblong or oblanceolate, cuneate at the base, rounded to truncate at the apex; upper surface glabrous to silky, lower surface thinly appressed-pubescent to silky; stipules (0.5)1–8 × 0.2–1.5 mm, shortly triangular to linear-triangular. Leaves pinnate with (3)4–10(11) pairs of leaflets; petiole 0.1–3.5 cm long, petiole and rachis together (1.5)3–10(13) cm long; leaflets (0.5)0.8–4(4.5) × (0.2)0.3–1(1.3) cm, elliptic or obovate to oblong or oblanceolate, cuneate at the base, rounded to truncate at the apex; upper surface glabrous to silky, lower surface thinly appressed-pubescent to silky; stipules (0.5)1–8 × 0.2–1.5 mm, shortly triangular to linear-triangular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in terminal and leaf-opposed racemes 2–20(24) cm long; bracts 0.5–5 × 0.1–0.7 mm; pedicels 2–6(8) mm long. Flowers in terminal and leaf-opposed racemes 2–20(24) cm long; bracts 0.5–5 × 0.1–0.7 mm; pedicels 2–6(8) mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx (1)2–4(6) mm long, appressed spreading-pubescent; lateral teeth approximately equalling the tube or rather longer. Calyx (1)2–4(6) mm long, appressed spreading-pubescent; lateral teeth approximately equalling the tube or rather longer.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals (5)6–10 mm long, purple or pinkish. Petals (5)6–10 mm long, purple or pinkish.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Staminal tube joined above. Staminal tube joined above.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary pubescent; style glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary pubescent; style glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 26–60 × 4–6.5 mm, dark brown, shortly pubescent. Pods 26–60 × 4–6.5 mm, dark brown, shortly pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds (4)6–10(11), 3–4 × 2–2.5 × 1–1.2 mm, ± rhomboid or oblongoid, with a very small aril at the middle of one of the longer sides, not markedly closely packed, the distance between the centres of adjacent seeds being greater than the breadth of the pod. Seeds (4)6–10(11), 3–4 × 2–2.5 × 1–1.2 mm, ± rhomboid or oblongoid, with a very small aril at the middle of one of the longer sides, not markedly closely packed, the distance between the centres of adjacent seeds being greater than the breadth of the pod.

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Nativa y cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 75 - 150 m.; Llanura del Caribe.

Morphology General Habit

Subarbusto

Conservation

No Evaluada

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Caribbean. Elevation range: 75–150 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Magdalena.

Habit

Subshrub.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: savanna, artificial - terrestrial.

Vernacular

Barbasco

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Papilionaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit

A variable perennial, 6–18 in. high, more or less erect, woody at the base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers purple or pink in very lax racemes with the lowest flowers appearing axillary and solitary

Ecology

In dry waste places.

Use Animal Food

Used as animal food.

Use Environmental

Environmental uses.

Use Food

Used for food.

Use Materials

Used as material.

Use Medicines

Medical uses.

Use Poisons

Poisons.