Mucuna reptans Verdc.

Scientific Description

Twining or climbing plants. Stems terete, not spiny, hairy; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades clearly present, compound, alternate, not continuous with stem, 100-150 mm long, hairy, with simple hairs, flat with flat margins; margins entire; tubercles absent, pinnately arranged, terminal leaflet present, stalked; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present but early deciduous ( only visible on youngest leaves ). Pedicel present, 6-7 mm long, hairy. Bracteoles present but early deciduous. Calyx 10-15 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 38-56 mm long, multicoloured, mostly yellow, green or black, with some yellow, green or black spots, streaks or blotches; claws absent; standard 20-35 mm long, glabrous, auriculate, wings 30-36 mm long, auriculate, keel 37-52 mm long, not beaked, not auriculate, glabrous. Stamens ten, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments united in an open sheath with one free stamen, 40-58 mm long. Ovary sessile or subsessile, glabrous; style 59 mm long, glabrous, not bearded, terete. Fruit dehiscent (a pod or follicle), sessile or subsessile, not constricted between the seeds, flat or compressed, not beaked. Flowers in February, March and April. Occurs in the Northern Botanical Province, in the Northern Kimberley IBRA regions.