General Information |
Distribution | Native 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.
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Habit
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Trailing perennial herbs; stems rooting at the nodes, densely pilose.
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Leaves
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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.
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Flowers
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Flowers 1.5-2.5 cm long, in pseudoracemes 1-8 cm long; corolla red, purple to nearly black.
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Fruit
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Pods linear, 7-8 cm long, ca. 4.5 mm wide, appressed pilose, apex beaked.
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Seeds
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Seeds 12-15, marbled brown and black, oblong-ellipsoid, ca. 4 mm long, pitted.
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Chromosomes
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2n = 14, 22
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