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

Botswana: 15 taxa.

The larvae of the following species of insect eat species of this genus:
Leptotes group (Blues)
No image yet

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
albissima Gand.
caribaea (Jacq.) DC. var. caribaea
densiflora (Roth) DC. subsp. chrysadenia (Taub.) Verdc.N,SE
densiflora (Roth) DC. subsp. debilis (G.Don) Verdc. N
fleckii SchinzSW,SE
holosericea SchinzN,SW,SE
minima (L.) DC. var. minima N,SE
minima (L.) DC. var. prostrata (Harv.) MeikleN
minima (L.) DC.[Agg]N,SEDescription, Image
nyasica Baker
resinosa (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) BakerDescription, Image
stipitata Verdc.N,SEDescription, Image
sublobata (Schumach. & Thonn.) MeikleN,SWDescription, Image
totta (Thunb.) DC. var. totta
totta (Thunb.) DC. var. fenchelii SchinzN,SW,SEDescription

Other sources of information about Rhynchosia:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: Rhynchosia
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Rhynchosia
Flora of Malawi: Rhynchosia
Flora of Mozambique: Rhynchosia
Flora of Zambia: 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: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Botswana: Genus page: Rhynchosia.
https://www.botswanaflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=770, retrieved 19 April 2024

Site software last modified: 12 October 2020 10:40pm
Terms of use