Vigna dalzelliana

Vigna dalzelliana is a perennial herb with yellow flowers that commonly is used as fodder.[1] The plant is poorly understood and was previously confused with its relative Vigna minima.[2]

Vigna dalzelliana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Rosids
Order:
Fabales
Family:
Fabaceae
Subfamily:
Faboideae
Genus:
Vigna
Species:
V. dalzelliana
Binomial name
Vigna dalzelliana
(Kuntze) Verdc.
Synonyms[1]
  • Phaseolus dalzelliana Kuntze
  • Phaseolus dalzellii Cooke
  • Phaseolus pauciflorus Dalzell

Description

Vigna dalzelliana is a twining herb.[3] Its stems are slender and covered with minute hairs, or trichomes. Its leaf petioles are covered with the same white trichomes, and are 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in) long. Its leaflets are oval-shaped and pointy, or acuminate, towards their apex. The leaflets range from 4–6 cm (1.6–2.4 in) in length. The herb's inflorescence is axillary, meaning it rises from the same node as a leaf rather than from the end of a stem. The peduncle of the plant is covered with the same white trichomes as the stem. Its flower petals are a pale yellow.[4]

Habitat and ecology

The plant is common to Thailand, Cambodia, India and Sri Lanka, and grows between 5–2,500 m (16–8,202 ft) in altitude.[5]

It is a common component of the ground flora in monsoon forests, and particularly Sal forests. It grows in shady wet highland slopes where the plant can root from stem nodes.[4]

Uses

Livestock often graze on the plant, and it is a good soil binder and can be used for soil conservation.[4]

Conservation

The monsoon forest habitat of the plant is threatened by the general expansion of human populations, especially by expansion of farmland. The species is listed as present in Sanjay Gandhi National Park in India and various national parks in Thailand. It is also present in the national gene bank in New Delhi.[6]

References
  1. Umberto Quattrocchi (2016). CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology (reprint ed.). CRC Press. p. 3904. ISBN 9781482250640.
  2. Mohar Singh; Ishwari Singh Bisht; Manoranjan Dutta, eds. (2014). Broadening the Genetic Base of Grain Legumes (illustrated ed.). Springer. p. 198. ISBN 9788132220237.
  3. Anurudh Kumar Singh (2017). Wild Relatives of Cultivated Plants in India: A Reservoir of Alternative Genetic Resources and More. Springer. p. 54. ISBN 9789811051166.
  4. Norihiko Tomooka; D. Vaughan; Helen Moss; Nigel Maxted (2012). The Asian Vigna: Genus Vigna subgenus Ceratotropis genetic resources (illustrated ed.). Springer Science & Business Media. p. 66. ISBN 9789401003148.
  5. John H. Wiersema, Blanca León (1999). World Economic Plants: A Standard Reference (illustrated ed.). CRC Press. p. 524. ISBN 9780849321191.
  6. Chadburn, H (2012). "Vigna dalzelliana". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T19892280A20163346.en. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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