Note 7: Alistair Hull's discovery of Uraria picta in Zimbabwe by Mark Hyde

A note about the first and only record of Uraria picta in Zimbabwe

Photo: A photograph of Uraria picta showing the whole plant.

Photo: Close up of the inflorescence.

The legume Uraria picta is widespread in tropical Africa from West Africa and Sudan to Malawi and Mozambique in the Flora Zambesiaca area (Verdcourt, B. in Flora Zambesiaca, 3(6), 2000).

Although there were no records for Zimbabwe in FZ, the species had been found 4 years earlier in the Chikwenya area in northern Zimbabwe by Alistair Hull.

No specimens were collected but two photographs exist and these have been scanned into a jpeg format and are shown above. The plant depicted is mostly past the flowering stage but the distinctive large imparipinnate stem leaves, which are slightly variegated, are clearly visible. The narrow terminal spike-like racemes are also characteristic.

More recent photographs of this species taken by Bart Wursten may be seen on the Uraria picta page on the Flora of Mozambique site.

Mark Hyde

12 May 2008