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<big>''[[Tylosema fassoglense]]'' (Schweinf.) Torre & Hillc.</big>
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Tylosema fassoglense'' (PROTA)}}
:Protologue: Bol. Soc. Brot., ser. 2, 29: 38 (1955).
== Synonyms ==
*''Bauhinia fassoglensis'' Schweinf. (1868), *''Bauhinia kirkii'' Oliv. (1871).
== Vernacular names ==
*Sprawling bauhinia, creeping bauhinia (En). *Bauhinia rampant (Fr).
== Origin and geographic distribution ==
== Description ==
*Perennial herb or shrub, with tuberous root; stem prostrate and trailing or climbing, up to 6 m long, herbaceous or woody below, young parts rusty-tomentose or rusty-hairy, with axillary forked tendrils (2–)3–6.5(–9.5) mm long. *Leaves alternate, simple; stipules 2–4 mm × 2 mm, persistent; petiole (2–)3–10(–20) cm long; blade bilobed for up to one-third (sometimes up to half) its length, (5–)7–13(–20) cm × (4–)8–15(–24) cm, base deeply cordate, lobes ovate to obovate, sometimes rounded, subglabrous to densely rusty pubescent beneath. Inflorescence a lateral raceme 5–45 cm long; peduncle (2–)4–12(–18) cm long. *Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous, heterostylous; pedicel (1.5–)2–4.5(–6) cm long; sepals 1–1.5(–2.5) cm × 3–4 mm, with upper 2 completely united and the other 3 free; petals unequal, 4 (larger ones) obovate-circular, (1.5–)2–4(–4.5) cm × 1–3 cm and tapering into a basal claw, the upper one much smaller, yellow, sometimes fading to pink; stamens 2, free, with filaments 10–18 mm long, staminodes 8, with filaments 3–6 mm long; ovary superior, 5–6 mm long, 1-celled, pubescent, style elongate, stigma small. *Fruit an obovoid to oblong-ovoid pod 5–12 cm × 3–7.5 cm, flattened, woody, 1–2-seeded. *Seeds ellipsoid to globose, somewhat compressed, 1.5–3 cm × 1–2 cm, chestnut-brown to black. == Other botanical information ==
''Tylosema'' comprises 5 species and occurs in southern and eastern Africa. Some taxonomists do not consider ''Tylosema'' a separate genus, but include it in ''Bauhinia''. ''Tylosema fassoglense'' is extremely variable, especially in its indumentum, leaf size and inflorescence size.
Growth of ''Tylosema fassoglense'' is rapid, with the shoots growing up to 5 cm per day. In southern Africa ''Tylosema fassoglense'' flowers from October to March. Regeneration after fire is rapid. ''Tylosema fassoglense'' does not form root nodules and relies on soil nitrogen.
== Ecology ==
== Author(s) ==
* M. Brink , PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands
== Correct citation of this article ==
Brink, M., 2006. '''Tylosema fassoglense''' (Schweinf.) Torre & Hillc. [Internet] Record from PROTA4U. In: Brink, M. & Belay, G. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. <http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp>. Accessed {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}.
