16. Fabaceae (Leguminosae, Papilionaceae)

Acacia cfr. pilispina P. Sermolli. Spinescent shrub, 1–1.25 m tall. About two weeks a er the re, in October (Plot 2) new stems arising from plant parts in the soil were observed and in January stems and leaves in full development appeared. Phanerophyte, or – when the aboveground parts are burned o – hemicryptophyte. Tab. 3 – Appendix 1; Fl. Zamb.: Shrub or tree 1–15 m high (…).

Albizia cfr. glaberrima (Schumach. et Ŀonn.) Benth. In the author’s observations small tree 3 m tall. Soon a er re, in September (Plot 1) new, young leaves appeared and a erwards, in January – the plants were in full development. Phanerophyte. Tab. 3 – Appendix 1; Fl. Zamb.: Tree 9–25 m high.

Alysicarpus zeyheri Harv. Herbaceous perennial plant, above 22 cm (up to 1 m) tall, with some creeping shoots and remnants of old stems burned o near soil surface. Flowers and fruits from September to November, dissemination up to December. Relatively thin, but hard (wooded) tap root. Hemicryptophyte. Tab. 3 – Appendix 1; Fl. Zamb.: Erect or somewhat spreading perennial herb 0.1–1.2 m tall, from a tough woody rootstock (…) o en in recently burnt areas (…).

Crotalaria kapirensis De Wild. = C. spinosa subsp. aculeata sensu E.G. Baker. Annual plant stems 40 up to 100 cm high erect or spreading on soil surface. Flowers from January up to March, in the second part of this time – the fruits. Ŀin tap root. Ŀerophyte. Tab. 3 – Appendix 1; Fl. Zamb.: Similar to C. aculeata (which is erect spiny short – lived perennial) but up to 2 m tall and larger in all parts.

Crotalaria pallidicaulis Harms. Shrub 1 to 2 m high. Leaves in the rainy season, than in January February and March owers and fruits. Phanerophyte. Tab. 3 – Appendix 1; Fl. Zamb.: Shrub, 1–3 (4) m tall (…).

Crotalaria rhodesiae Baker. Perennial herb, stems prostrate or rising up to 60– 160 cm long. On the rst studied plot a er con agration, apart from the burned o remains of old stems, small sprouts with leaves and owers were developed already in August. Some owers occurred also later, together with fruits, namely from January up to March and April. Ŀe root seems to be woody and was excavated up to 12 cm of length. Hemicryptophyte. Tab. 3 – Appendix 1; Fl. Zamb.: Prostrate perennial, with many well branched puberulous radiating stems.

To three species of Crotalaria mentioned above the following remark may be referred: according to various observations, they adapted to survive on burned plots (Fl. Zamb. – description of the genus Crotalaria).

Desmodium velutinum (Willd) DC. Perennial woody herb, or shrub, up to 60 cm tall. A er the re, apart from burned o stems, new sprouts with young leaves were developed. Flowers and fruits occurred from December up to February and March, and in part until April. In this last two month the remnants of seeds were found. Ŀe dissemination was observed until June and July. Forced hemicryptophyte. Tab 3 – Appendix 1; Fl. Zamb.: Subshrub or woody herb, 0.5–3 m tall; White (1962): up to 1.8 m tall (...).

Dichrostachys cinerea (L) Wight et Arn. = D. glomerata Forsk. Shrub 0.5–1.5 m high, in October appeared some sprouts regenerating from plant parts on the soil surface. Flowers were observed in January. Phanerophyte (forced hemicryptophyte?). Tab. 3 – Appendix 1; Fl. Zamb.: Shrub or small tree 1–8 (12) m high, sometimes suckering and thicket-forming or even scandent, (…). A very variable and taxonomically complex species (…). According to some other observation in the absence of grass res the described plant may form impenetrable, spiny thickets.

Erythrina abyssinica Lam ex DC. small tree, sheading leaves on the beginning of dry season (in April, May), a erwards owers and fruits (May, June). Phanerophyte. Tab. 3 – Appendix 1; Fl. Zamb.: Tree, rarely a shrub, 3–10 m tall; White (1962): It may be up to 15 m high and is re resistant.

Indigofera hilaris Eckl. et Zeyh. Perennial herb, with several decumbent or weekly ascending stems mostly 30, but also up to 40–47 cm long, in clusters (on the studied plots they were in part burned o). Flowering usually soon a er re, from August (Plot 1) till October, fruits and dissemination in similar time, seeds were observed in part at the ant hill. A woody rootstock with some vertical root. Hemicryptophyte. Tab. 3 – Appendix 1; Fl. Trop. E. Afr.: Perennial, usually owering a er re (…) stems up to 30 cm long. Upland or re induced grassland (…). Fl. Zimb. (electr.): Stems, up to 40 cm tall (…). It is one of the most spectacular displays on the bare, blackened soil a er a re, when it blooms in large numbers before the leaves develop.

Indigofera vicioides Jaub. & Spach var. rogersii (R.E. Fries) Gillet. Perennial herb, about 30–40 cm tall with numerous ascending, and some elevated, stems, on observation plots in part burned o. Flowers before the leaves, in August until October – then also the fruits, leaves mainly in the rainy season. Ŀick wooden root up to ca 15 cm in diameter. Hemicryptophyte. Tab. 3 – Appendix 1; Fl. Trop. E. Afr.: Spreading annual or perennial herb (…) var. rogersii di ers in being more o en perennial (…). In Global plants on JSTOR: Herb up to 30 cm tall (…).

Tephrosia radicans Bak. Perennial herb, stems (30) 70–120 cm long, creeping on the soil surface, with raised up top parts. Leaves, owers and fruits soon a er re, in August (plot 1) and September, observed also later at the end of the rainy season, from February to April. Vertical, woody tap root. Hemicryptophyte. Tab. 3 – Appendix 1; Fl. Trop. E. Afr.: Perennial herb with a stout woody taproot; stems prostrate, o en forming a mat; according CJB African plant database: Stem 0.8–1.6 m long.

Vigna antunesii Harms. = V. nuda N. E. Br. Perennial herb, stems with owers ca 10–15 cm high, owering before the leaves, and fructi cation in October, then still some remains of old, burned out sprouts. In the rainy season the long stems were developed. As the underground part of plants there was found a tap root braceous but so, relatively thick, with branches near soil surface. Hemicryptophyte. Tab 3, Fig. 23c – Appendix 1, 2; Fl. Zamb.: Perennial herb from a thick, o en extensive branched, frequently horizontal woody rootstock (…). Stem at rst erect, later prostrate or less o en climbing 6 cm to 1.8 m tall or long (…). Seasonally burnt grassland.