Dunchi Fiber

Annual or biennial, erect, 1-3 m tall, stem glabrous or sparsely pubescent when young, sparsely aculeate. Leaf paripinnate, rachis 20-35 cm long, aculeate; leaflets 50-110, 10-20 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, oblong, obtuse, mucronate, sparsely pilose on margins and midrib below; stipules 6-10 mm long. Inflorescence a raceme, 3-12-flowered, up to 13 cm long. Pedicel 6-11 mm long. Calyx c. 4 mm long, teeth c. 1 mm long, margin pubescent. Corolla pale yellow, violet flecked. Vexillum c. 12-13 mm long (including c. 3 mm long claw). Fruit c. 15-25 cm long, c. 2-3 mm wide, glabrous, 35-40-seeded.

Tropical Africa, Asia, probably a native of a tropical Asia.

Distribution: Pakistan, India, China, S.E. Asia; Mozambique, Rhodesia; Botswana; South West Africa; Lesotho; S. Africa; Madagascar; Mauritius; Kenya; Tanganyika; Jamaica (probably introduced).

150-700 m

Fl.Per.: June-September.

Annual, Perennial, Herbs, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems erect or ascending, Stems less than 1 m tall, Stems 1-2 m tall, Stems greater than 2 m tall, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs glabrous or sparsely glabrate, Stems with hooked uncinate hairs or prickles, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules inconspicuous, absent, or caducous, Stipules setiform, subulate or acicular, Stipules deciduous, Stipules free, Leaves compound, Leaves even pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Stipels present at base of leaflets, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves glabrous or nearly so, Flowers in axillary clusters or few-floweredracemes, 2-6 flowers, Inflorescences racemes, Inflorescence axillary, Bracteoles present, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx glabrous, Petals separate, Corolla papilionace ous, Petals clawed, Petals orange or yellow, Banner petal suborbicular, broadly rounded, Banner petal auriculate, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing petals auriculate, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Keel petals auriculate, spurred, or gibbous, Keel abruptly curved, or spirally coiled, Keel tips obtuse or rounded, not beaked, Stamens 9-10, Stamens diadelphous, 9 united, 1 free, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Fruit a legume, Fruit stipitate, Fruit unilocular, Fruit tardily or weakly dehiscent, Fruit elongate, straight, Fruit or valves persistent on stem, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit compressed between seeds, Fruit beaked, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit 11-many seeded, Seeds ovoid to rounded in outline, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.