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Useful Tropical Plants

Tephrosia lupinifolia

DC.

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Cracca lupinifolia (DC.) Kuntze

Galega lupinifolia Burch.

Lupinophyllum lupinifolium (DC.) Hutch.

Tephrosia digitata DC.

Tephrosia laevigata Welw. ex Baker

Common Name:

Tephrosia lupinifolia

General Information

Tephrosia lupinifolia is a usually pennenial, herbaceous plant producing stems from 30 - 120cm long from a tuberous rootstock. The stems either scramble over the ground or twine into the surrounding vegetation for support[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
,
394
Title
Flora Capensis
Publication
 
Author
Hiern. W.P.; Brown N.E.
Website
http://www.aluka.org/action/doBrowse?sa=1&st=662543&execbr=&sls=
Publisher
 
Year
1909
ISBN
 
Description
Rather dated, and many of the botanical names have been changed since it was written, but contains a wealth of information about plants of southern Africa. It can be downloaded or viewed online.
,
610
Title
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Publication
 
Author
Beentje H.J.
Website
http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
2002
ISBN
 
Description
Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa.
].
The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for local use as a medicine and dyestuff. The plant can be used to stabilize sandy soils.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

394
Title
Flora Capensis
Publication
 
Author
Hiern. W.P.; Brown N.E.
Website
http://www.aluka.org/action/doBrowse?sa=1&st=662543&execbr=&sls=
Publisher
 
Year
1909
ISBN
 
Description
Rather dated, and many of the botanical names have been changed since it was written, but contains a wealth of information about plants of southern Africa. It can be downloaded or viewed online.
,
610
Title
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Publication
 
Author
Beentje H.J.
Website
http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
2002
ISBN
 
Description
Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa.

Range

Africa - widespread in drier areas from Senegal to Sudan, south to S. Africa.

Habitat

Grassy shortly-bushy hills; open sandy places; drier sea-sands; often in cultivations; 0-1900 metres[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
]. Sandy places, often on sand dunes[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitPerennial Climber
Height1.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details


Requires a sunny position[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. Found in the wild on poor, sandy soils[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
The plant has a deep penetrating tap-root[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
In addition to the normal flowers produced above ground, the plant also sometimes produces shorter axillary pseudoracemes near the base of the stem - these push underground in sandy soil and bear small pale cleistogamous flowers and short 1 - 2-seeded pods[
610
Title
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Publication
 
Author
Beentje H.J.
Website
http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
2002
ISBN
 
Description
Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa.
].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[
755
Title
Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The roots are used in the treatment of malaria-like illnesses and severe headaches. A traditional healer or a family member chews the roots and then, keeping the root in the mouth, sprays salive on the head of the affected person. As an additional measure, the salive is also rubbed onto the head and breast of the affected person[
775
Title
Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
Publication
 
Author
Leffers A.
Publisher
Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
Year
2003
ISBN
99916-0-491-X
Description
Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
].

Agroforestry Uses:

A deep-rooted plant that fixes atmospheric nitrogen; it can be used to conserve and improve sandy soils, including sand dunes[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Other Uses

The plant (part not specified) is said to yield a blue dye[
544
Title
Cataloge of African Plants Collected by Dr. Friedrich Welwitsch in 1853 - 1861
Publication
 
Author
Hiern. W.P.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Longmans & Co.; London.
Year
1898
ISBN
 
Description
In 6 volumes, it gives botanical descriptions and some uses of the plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-15. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Tephrosia+lupinifolia>

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