shrubby pencilflower
Stylosanthes fruticosa (Retz.) Alston
Stylosanthes fruticosa, known as shrubby pencilflower, is a flowering plant in the Fabaceae family. Native to Cape Verde, sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula, India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar, it has been introduced to Hawaii. It is valued for its tolerance to light shade, acid soils, and light frosts. It grows at elevations up to 2,000 m with as little as 300 mm of annual rainfall.
Description
Stylosanthes fruticosa (Retz.) Alston is a species in the legume family Fabaceae. It is found in regions including Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, India, and other areas. This plant is appreciated by livestock and is adapted to diverse environmental conditions, including low rainfall and acidic soils. It can grow from sea level to 2,000 m elevation. The species was first published in 1931.
Other common names
shrubby pencilflower
Distribution
BI · IN · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina · Burundi · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Chad · Congo · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Guinea-Bissau · Guinea · Hawaii · India · Ivory Coast · Kenya · KwaZulu-Natal · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mozambique · Myanmar · Namibia
Synonyms
Stylosanthes mucronataStylosanthes bojeriStylosanthes flavicansStylosanthes suborbiculataStylosanthes suborbicularisArachis fruticosaHedysarum hamatumStylosanthes apricaStylosanthes setosa
