Abrus laevigatus

Description

Family Fabaceae

The Fabaceae are herbs, vines , shrubs , trees , and lianas found in both temperate and tropical areas. They comprise one of the largest families of flowering plants , numbering 630 genera and 18,000 species. The leaves are stipulate , nearly always alternate, and range from bipinnately or palmately compound to simple . The petiole base is commonly enlarged into a pulvinus that commonly functions in orientation of the leaves (sometimes very responsively, as in the sensitive plant, Mimosa pudica). The flowers are usually bisexual , actinomorphic to zygomorphic, slightly to strongly perigynous, and commonly in racemes , spikes, or heads . The perianth commonly consists of a calyx and corolla of 5 segments each. The androecium consists of commonly 1- many stamens (most commonly 10), distinct or variously united , sometimes some of them reduced to staminodes. The pistil is simple, often stipitate , comprising a single style and stigma, and a superior ovary with one locule containing 2-many marginal ovules. The fruit is usually a legume, sometimes a samara, loment, follicle, indehiscent pod, achene, drupe, or berry. The seeds often have a hard coat with hourglass-shaped cells , and sometimes bear a u-shaped line called a pleurogram. [Carr]

Subfamily Faboideae

Mostly herbs, shrubs , or trees . Leaves pinnate or palmate to trifoliolate or apparently simple . Corolla usually, showy, zygomorphic, the petals imbricate, posterior (upper or banner ) petal outermost in bud. Stamens 10 or 9 + 1 (diadelphous ), not showy. Pollen released in monads . Seeds with u-shaped line (pleurogram) lacking. [Carr]

Physical Description

Habit: Herb, Shrub • Climbing: Climbing

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Taxonomy

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Domain: Eukaryota () - Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- Kingdom: Plantae () - Haeckel, 1866 - Plants
  - Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae () - Cavalier-Smith, 1981
    - Phylum: Anthophyta () - Sinnott, 1935 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
      - Subphylum: Euphyllophytina ()
        Infraphylum: Radiatopses () - Kenrick & Crane, 1997
        Class: Dicotyledoneae () - Brongniart, 1843
        Subclass: Rosidae () - Takhtajan, 1967
        Superorder: Fabanae () - R. Dahlgren Ex Reveal, 1993
        Order: Rosales () - Bromhead, 1838
        Family: Fabaceae () - Lindley, 1836 - Bean Family
        Subfamily: Faboideae ()
        Tribe: Abreae ()
        Genus: Abrus () - Adanson, 1763
        Specific epithet: laevigatus - E.Mey.
        Botanical name: - Abrus laevigatus E. Mey.

Unambiguous Synonyms

Abrus laevigatus E. Meyer

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: –

Place of publication : E. H. F. Meyer & J. F. Drège, Comm. pl. Afr. austr. 126. 1836

Name verified on 21-Oct-1986 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 26-Feb-2004

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Abrus

There are approximately 42 species in this genus:

A. aureus · A. aureus aureus · A. aureus littoralis · A. baladensis · A. bottae · A. canescens · A. cantonensis · A. precatorius subsp. africanus · A. diversifoliatus · A. diversifoliolatus · A. fruticulosus · A. gawenensis · A. gracilis · A. laevigatus · A. longibracteatus · A. lusorius · A. madagascariensis · A. melanospermus subsp. suffruticosus · A. melanospermus subsp. tenuiflorus · A. melanospermus tenuiflorus · A. parvifolius · A. precatorius (Black-Eyed Susan) · A. precatorius africanus · A. precatorius precatorius · A. precatorius subsp. africanus · A. pulchellum · A. pulchellus · A. pulchellus cantoniensis · A. pulchellus mollis · A. pulchellus pulchellus · A. pulchellus suffruticosus · A. pulchellus tenuiflorus · A. pulchellus var. tenuiflorus · A. repens · A. sambiranensis · A. schimperi · A. schimperi africanus · A. schimperi oblongus · A. schimperi schimperi · A. somalensis · A. stictospermus · A. wittei

Bibliography

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Breteler, F. J. 1960. Blumea 10:612. [= A. fruticulosus].
Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist. (Leg Africa)
Rudd,V.E. 1971 Phytologia 22(1):56 New Combinations in Machaerium (Legum.)
Verdcourt, B. 1970. Kew Bull. 24:246.

More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
ILDIS World Database of LegumesNov 10, 2005.
MBLWHOI Library: Universal Biological Index and Organizer. uBio.org accessed July 20, 2008.
USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (May 05, 2008)

Identifiers

Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2840128
Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ILD-1570
Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13635746
Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:469596-1
GRIN Nomen Number: 738

International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 469596-1
Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 403815