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

Malawi: 27 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 HarmsN,C,SDescription
caribaea (Jacq.) DC. var. caribaea S
chapmanii Verdc.S
clivorum S. Moore subsp. pycnantha (Harms) Verdc.N,C,SDescription, Image
densiflora (Roth) DC. subsp. debilis (G.Don) Verdc. S
divaricata BakerNDescription, Image
elegans A.Rich. var. elegans N,C
goetzei HarmsN,C,S
hirta (Andrews) Meikle & Verdc.N,C,SDescription, Image
holstii HarmsN
insignis (O. Hoffm) R.E. Fr.N,C,SDescription, Image
luteola (Hiern) K. Schum. var. luteola N,S
minima (L.) DC. var. nuda (DC.) KuntzeC
minima (L.) DC.[Agg]N,C,SDescription, Image
minima (L.) DC. var. prostrata (Harv.) MeikleC,S
minima (L.) DC. var. minima N,C,S
monophylla Schltr.N,CDescription, Image
nyasica BakerN,C,SDescription, Image
nyikensis Baker N,CDescription, Image
procurrens (Hiern) K. Schum. subsp. floribunda (Baker) Verdc.N,C
pseudoviscosa HarmsS
resinosa (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) BakerN,C,SDescription, Image
sublobata (Schumach. & Thonn.) MeikleSDescription, Image
totta (Thunb.) DC. var. fenchelii SchinzC,SDescription
tricuspidata Baker f. subsp. tricuspidata N
viscosa (Roth) DC. subsp. viscosa var. viscosa N,C
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 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, 2014-25

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2025). Flora of Malawi: Genus page: Rhynchosia.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=770, retrieved 3 April 2025

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