Aeschynomene scabra Don
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Authority
Rudd, Velva E. 1955. The American species of Aeschynomene. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 32: 1-172.
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Family
Fabaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type locality: "Native of Guayaquil," the collection attributed to Ruiz and Pavón, but probably actually made by Tafalla, cited below.
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Description
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Description - Stem up to about 3m. high, erect, hispidulous; stipules about 7-15 mm. long, 2-3 mm. wide, serrulate-ciliate, or rarely subentire, the portion above the point of attachment acuminate, about 3 times as long as the subacuminate lower portion; leaves 5-12 cm. long, about 30-55-foliolate, the petiole and rachis hispidulous; leaflets 5-15 mm. long, 1.5-3 mm. wide, entire or rarely denticulate with a few marginal hairs; peduncles and pedicels hispidulous; bracts narrowly ovate to subcordate, about 3-4 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm. wide, acute, ciliate-denticulate or sometimes laciniate; bracteoles ovate-oblong, about 3 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, subacuminate, ciliate-denticulate ; flowers 8-11 mm. long; calyx 6-7 mm. long; standard commonly 10 mm. long, the claw 2 mm. long, the blade ovate-elliptic, about 8 mm. long and 5 mm. wide, retuse, ciliate; wings about 9 mm. long, the claw scarcely 1 mm. long, the blade about 8 mm. long, 2-3 mm. wide, somewhat ciliate; keel petals about as long as the wings, curved, the blade about 2 mm. wide; stamens about 10 mm. long; fruit commonly 10-14-articulate, the upper edge essentially entire, the lower edge crenate or subentire, the stipe (5-)10-15 mm. long, often curved, glabrous toward the base, hispidulous toward the first article, the articles 3-4 mm. wide, 3-3.5mm. long, hispidulous, rarely subglabrous, verrucose or muricate at the center; seed about 2.5 mm. long and 2 mm. wide.
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Discussion
This species is distinguished by its relatively slender, long-stipitate fruits, usually 10-14-articulate. The plants are moderately hispid, usually more so than Ae. indica or Ae. evenia, but much less so than Ae. ciliata. The length of the fruit-stipe is usually a good diagnostic character in Aeschynomene. In Ae. scabra, however, as in a few other species, there is considerable variability of that character. Most of the collections exhibit stipes 10-15 mm. long, but a few are as short as 5 mm. In several cases, moderately long as well as short-stiped fruits occur on the same plant. In some specimens it can be recognized that the longer stipes are due to abortion of ovules toward the base of the ovary. There is also some variation in fruit width, usually the wider fruits having the shorter stipes. The above observations lend credence to my interpretation of the species and the type specimen. The "Ruiz and Pav6n" sheet, presumably representing the type of Ae. scabra, consists of two separate branches. Vegetatively, there is no apparent difference except that one is more robust than the other. The more slender branch bears flowers equivalent to those of the specimens cited above, and fruits which are smooth, narrow, about 3 mm. wide, with stipe about 8 mm. long. The other branch, flowerless, has fruits which are broader, about 4 mm. wide, with shorter stipes, about 5 mm. long, and joints which are "muricated in the center," as characterized in the original description of Ae. scabra.