e-Key v<span id="jodit_selection_marker_1699450702927_6071572930938214" data-jodit_selection_marker="start" style="line-height: 0; display: none;"></span>3 - *Leu<span id="jodit_selection_marker_1699450702927_5174853425719987" data-jodit_selection_marker="end" style="line-height: 0; display: none;"></span>caena
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Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.

Fabaceae - Mimosoideae - Mimoseae - *Leucaena Benth.

Description:

  • Unarmed trees or shrubs
  • Leaves bipinnate, a conspicuous gland often present at junction of lowest pair of pinnae, petiole and rachis otherwise eglandular or rarely with glands between other pairs of pinnae; pinnae each with one to many pairs of leaflets
  • Inflorescence capitate, pedunculate, axillary, 1-3 together, often racemosely aggregated
  • Flowers bisexual, sessile
  • Calyx gamosepalous, 5-toothed
  • Petals 5, free, pubescent or glabrous outside
  • Stamens 10, free, fertile; anthers mostly eglandular apically
  • Ovary pubescent or sometimes glabrous
  • Pod oblong or linear-oblong, usually thinly subcoriaceous, compressed, dehiscing into 2 nonrecurving valves
  • Seeds lying ± transversely in pod, compressed, brown, smooth, unwinged
  • x = 13, 14 (polyploidy, B-chromosomes)

Nomenclature:

  • *Leucaena Benth.
    • Bentham: 416 (1842)
    • Brenan & Brummitt: 53 (1970)
    • Ross: 193 (1973)
    • Ross: 115 (1975)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global: Species ± 50, widespread in the tropics and subtropics
  • Southern Africa: Species 1: *Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) De Wit, has become naturalised in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape

References:

  • BENTHAM, G. 1842. Contributions towards a Flora of South America.-Enumeration of plants collected by Mr Schomburgk. Journal of Botany 4
  • BRENAN, J.P.M. & BRUMMITT, R.K. 1970. Leguminosae. Flora zambesiaca 3,1
  • ROSS, J.H. 1973. Flora of Natal. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa. No. 39
  • ROSS, J.H. 1975. Fabaceae. Mimosoideae. Flora of southern Africa 16,1

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