Entada nudiflora Brenan, Kew Bull. 20: 377. 1966. (publ. Jan. 1967).

O'Donnell, Shawn A., Ringelberg, Jens J. & Lewis, Gwilym P., 2022, Re-circumscription of the mimosoid genus Entada including new combinations for all species of the phylogenetically nested Elephantorrhiza (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae, mimosoid clade), PhytoKeys 205, pp. 99-145 : 99

Entada nudiflora Brenan, Kew Bull. 20: 377. 1966. (publ. Jan. 1967).

Type.

ZAMBIA. Mbala (Abercorn) District , path to Kapata village, H.M. Richards 10192 (holotype: K [K000232154, K000232155]) .

Description.

Climber, slender, woody, up to 3 m. Leaves: rachis 4-6 cm long, terminating in bifurcating tendril or the petiolules of the terminal pinna pair modified for coiling; pinnae 1-3 pairs per leaf, 4.6-5.1 cm long, with 18-25 pairs of leaflets; leaflets 3.3-13.5 × 1-1.75 mm, linear to linear-oblong, apex sub-acute and mucronate, base oblique, lamina glabrous. Inflorescence: an axillary spike, 3.5-5.5 cm long, solitary or in fascicles on short shoots or occupying terminal portions of shoots and produced when the plant is leafless. Flowers: dark purple, sessile to sub-sessile; calyx 2.5 mm long, deeply toothed, glabrous; petals 3.5-6 mm long; stamen filaments 6-8 mm long. Fruit: a torulose, laterally compressed, falcate craspedium, 25-28 × 3-3.4 cm, with transverse septa between seeds dividing the fruit into one-seeded segments which, upon ripening, fall from the persistent replum. Seeds: 10 × 6.5 mm, with pleurogram.

Distribution.

Zambia, Tanzania.

Habitat and ecology.

Rocky hillsides, especially those of the escarpment facing Lake Tanganyika, in deciduous thicket, scrub and dry evergreen woodland, occasionally on sandy soil. Leafless when flowering.