Flora of the Hawaiian Islands
Dicotyledon Literature for Macroptilium atropurpureum
Wagner et al., 1990, 1999.
   Fabaceae -- The Pea Family Bibliography
      Macroptilium atropurpureum
General Information
DistributionNative to the Neotropics, now widely cultivated and naturalized throughout the tropics and subtropics.In the Hawaiian Islands, naturalized on Kaua`i, O`ahu, Moloka`i, Lana`i, Maui, Kaho`olawe, Hawai`i.
















Habit
Trailing perennial herbs; stems rooting at the nodes, densely pilose.
Leaves
Leaflets ovate to rhombic, 1.5-7 cm long, 1.3-5 cm wide, usually, but not always, laterally lobed, the lateral leaflets oblique with a single lobe on outer side, upper surface pubescent, lower surface densely velvety white sericeous, petioles 0.5-5 cm long, stipules ovate, 4-5 mm long, strongly veined.
Flowers
Flowers 1.5-2.5 cm long, in pseudoracemes 1-8 cm long; corolla red, purple to nearly black.
Fruit
Pods linear, 7-8 cm long, ca. 4.5 mm wide, appressed pilose, apex beaked.
Seeds
Seeds 12-15, marbled brown and black, oblong-ellipsoid, ca. 4 mm long, pitted.
Chromosomes
2n = 14, 22