Flowers in pedunculate, axillary racemes, rarely solitary and terminal, bracteate
Calyx with campanulate tube; lobes subequal
Petals: vexillum sometimes bilobed, sessile or shortly clawed; wings usually eared, clawed; keel straight or incurved, clawed
Stamens diadelphous; anthers uniform
Ovary sessile or stalked, 2-many-ovuled; style incurved, bearded in front below apex
Pod membranous, slightly inflated or compressed, opening at apex
Seeds reniform, with filiform funicle
x = 8
Nomenclature:
Lessertia DC.
Candolle: 37 (1802) name conserved
Harvey: 213 (1862)
Bolus: 87 (1915)
Distribution & Notes:
Global: Species over 50, Africa
Southern Africa: Species ± 47, widespread
References:
BOLUS, L. 1915. Notes on Lessertia with descriptions of six new species and a key. The Annals of the Bolus Herbarium 1,3
CANDOLLE, A.P. DE. 1802. Astragalogia. Garnery, Paris
HARVEY, W.H. 1862. Leguminosae. Flora capensis 2
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Biodiversity Advisor, developed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and its Data Partners, is a system that will provide integrated biodiversity information to a wide range of users who will have access to geospatial data, plant and animal species distribution data, ecosystem-level data, literature, images and metadata.
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