Subfamily: Faboideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 3.10.14.
Tribe: Phaseoleae.
Subtribe: Clitoriinae.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 10 studied; 45 in genus.
Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 6–26 cm long; 0.3–4 cm wide; 0.1–0.5 cm thick; 2–9 times longer than wide to more than 9 times longer than wide, or length less than twice as long as width (rarely); with deciduous androecial sheath; with deciduous corolla; with persistent calyx, or deciduous calyx (often when fruit mature); with calyx shorter than fruit; without orifice formed by curving of fruit or fruit segments; straight, or curved; not plicate; not twisted; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; linear (or nearly so), or falcate; with both sutures parallelly curved; not inflated; compressed; with beak; straight; with solid beak the same color and texture as fruit; long tapered at apex to tapered at apex; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit, or aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; tapered at base, or long tapered at base, or short tapered at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; chartaceous to coriaceous; seed chambers externally invisible (sometimes demarcated by coloration); margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin embellished; margin with thickened sutural areas, or wing(s); wing(s) present; wing(s) 4 (2 wings on each valve); wing(s) 1–3 mm wide; wing(s) valvular; wing(s) on both valves; nonstipitate; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures; apical and down; active; with valves twisting. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome, or multicolored; bichrome and mottled (centrally, paler near sutures); brown, or green (brownish); with brown overlay; mottling color combination variable; with surface texture uniform; glabrous, or pubescent and indurate; with hairs erect; with 2 types of pubescence; pilose; with pubescence white; with pubescence uniformly distributed; with simple hairs; pliable; with hair bases swollen, or plain; eglandular; without spines; smooth, or not smooth; with elevated features; not veined; not tuberculate; dotted, or lenticular; not exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; thin; surface not veined; 1-layered, or 2-layered; without balsamic vesicles; without fibers; without reniform canals; solid; with solid layer over solid layer; coriaceous, or chartaceous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome, or mottled; tan, or white; with mottling more or less uniform (dark); with brown overlay; smooth; without adhering pieces of testa; septate; with septa thin (tissue paper-like), flexible; with septa eglandular; chartaceous; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; with wing(s) extending into epicarp, or without wings; entire. Seed(s) (4–)8–17; length parallel with fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.1–5 mm long; of 1 length only; filiform, or thick; straight. Aril present, or absent; dry; when dry rim-aril, or partial rim-aril; entire; covering less than 1/2 of seed; without tongue (or flap) on lips of 2-lipped rim-aril, or with tongues (or flap) on lips of 2-lipped rim-aril; with 1 tongue or flap on 1 lip of 2-lipped rim-aril; tan.
Seed: 4.7–11.6 mm long; 3–8.4 mm wide; 2–7 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular, or angular; symmetrical; ovate, or reniform, or rectangular; terete to compressed; with surface smooth; without visible radicle and cotyledon lobes; without hilar sinus; without umbo on seed faces; without medial ridge on each face. Cuticle not exfoliating; not inflated; not wrinkled. Testa present; without pieces of adhering epicarp; not adhering to endocarp; free from endocarp; dull, or glossy, or glaucous; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; brown to reddish brown, or black; glabrous; smooth; chartaceous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent, or present; reticulate. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; visible; with faboid split; with the lips of the faboid split lighter colored than the rest of the hilum and therefore conspicuous; larger than punctiform; 0.8–7.5 mm long; with curved outline, or straight outline; elliptic to oval; linear; apical at apex of radicle tip to subapical to radicle tip, or marginal according to radicle tip; slightly raised; not within corona, halo, or rim, or within halo, or within rim; halo darker than testa; rim color darker than testa. Lens discernible; 0.5–0.8 mm long; with margins curved; circular; not in groove of raphe; adjacent to hilum; 0.5–1.3 mm from hilum; flush to mounded (slightly); dissimilar color from testa; lighter than testa; tan; within halo; halo color darker than testa. Endosperm present; thin; not pluglike and not resembling tip of radicle; covering entire embryo; adnate to testa. Cotyledons smooth; both outer faces convex; both the same thickness; both more or less of equal length; not folded; margin entire 180 degrees from base of radicle; similar at apex; not concealing radicle, or partially concealing radicle; notched at radicle; without lobes; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; tan; inner face flat; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis deflexed; oblique to length of seed; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; linear, or bulbose; lobe tip straight; with 90 degree turn to oblique to cotyledons; centered between cotyledons; less than 1/2 length of cotyledons. Plumule moderately developed to well developed; glabrous.
Authors: J.H. Kirkbride, Jr., C.R. Gunn, A.L. Weitzman, M.J. Dallwitz, K.R. Thiele
Content last updated April 2003
Released April 2024 on idtools.org
