Physostigma Balf.

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

Verdcourt, B. (2000) Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(6)

Description of the genus

Herbs or subshrubs, erect or climbing. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; stipules persistent, not spurred, ribbed; stipels persistent. Inflorescences either axillary on leafy stems or appearing terminal on leafless shoots, pseudoracemose, many-flowered; rhachis sometimes swollen at the insertion of the pedicels. Flowers mostly showy, white to purple; calyx 5-lobed, 2-lipped, the lower 3 lobes ovate-triangular, the upper pair of lobes united to form an entire or bifid lip; standard auriculate but without appendages, glabrous; keel with marked basal spur, apex beaked, spirally twisted. Ovary linear, 2–12-ovuled. Fruit pods linear or linear-oblong, often curved, the valves sometimes twisting after dehiscence. Seeds large or small, ellipsoid or subcylindric; hilum linear or elliptic to ovate; aril absent.

Worldwide: Four or five species in tropical Africa.

Malawi: 1 taxon.

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

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
mesoponticum Taub.N,C,S

Other sources of information about Physostigma:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Physostigma
Flora of Mozambique: Physostigma
Flora of Zambia: Physostigma

External websites:

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

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 Malawi: Genus page: Physostigma.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=2272, retrieved 29 March 2024

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