西非灰毛豆 xi fei hui mao dou

Herbs, perennial, erect, many branched. Stems tomentose with short and long white and yellow trichomes, trichomes ca. 1.5 mm. Leaves 13-29-foliolate; rachis 10-25 cm, including petiole 1-3 cm; leaflet blades oblong-elliptic to lanceolate-ellip­tic, 3-7 × 0.9-1.8 cm, abaxially densely mixed white and yel­low tomentose, adaxially appressed white sericeous, secondary veins 12-15 on each side of midvein. Pseudoracemes terminal or axillary near apex of branchlets, 10-15 cm, rusty tomentose, long pedunculate. Pedicel 2-2.3 cm, rusty villous. Flowers ca. 2.5 cm. Calyx ca. 1.2 × 1 cm, brown tomentose; teeth oblong, ca. 1 cm, apex rounded but adaxial one narrowly acute. Corol­la white or occasionally violet; standard orbicular, sericeous. Ovary sericeous, with numerous ovules. Legume linear, 10-13 cm × 12-14 mm, straight, yellowish white tomentose, rusty on suture, apex beaked. Seeds 12-16 per legume, black, broadly ovoid, ca. 7 × 4.5 mm, smooth. Fl. and fr. year-round. 2n = 22.

Cultivated in S Guangdong, Hainan, and Taiwan [native to tropi­cal Africa].

This species is grown as a green mulch.