Wayside Alien Fabaceae ( Faboideae ) @ Seremban2

Desmodium triflorum

Desmodium triflorum

Synonym : Hedysarum triflorum, Meibomia triflora

Origin & Distribution 

Desmodium triflorum is native to ther Old World tropics and subtropics.   It is currently pantropical.

Environmental Significance

Capable to grow on wide range of soil, tolerant to draught and fire, highly resistant to grazing and mowing, thus very difficult to get rid of.

Considered invasive and notorious weed, especially for lawn.

Lablab purpureus - Kacang komak

Kacang komak is the name the Indonesian workers called the rare purplish bean they sowed at the line site.

It is a vigour climber with trifoliate leaves.  Flowers in raceme, purplish-green in colour, resemble of yardlong beans ( Vigna unguiculata sesquipedalis ).

Yet the fruit pods are somehow similar to semi-inflated green beans.

A check on Google shows that kacang komak is a variety of Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweets, a legume native to Africa, now widely cultivated throughout tropical region.

It is known by many names : Egyptian been, Hyacinth bean, Indian bean ; faselbohne, helmbohne, schlangenbohne, batao, wal,vaal, sem, lubia, fiwi, njahi in Africa ; batao in the Philippines ; avarai in India, etc.  Its synonyms include : Dolichos benghalensis Jacq. Dolichos lablab L. , Dolichos purpureus L. , Lablab niger Medikus , Lablab vulgaris (L.) Savi , Lablab lablab (L) Lyons,  Vigna aristata Piper.

Flowers, immature pods, seeds, leaves and root are used as vegetables.  Flowers are consumed raw or cooked in soups. Immature pods can be eaten raw or cooked.  Mature seeds must be thoroughly cooked.  The seeds can also made into tofu, tempe, or sprouted.  Leaves must be cooked before consuming.

It is also used as fodder for grazing, in soil conservation, as green manure and cover crop, and even as an ornament.

Baphia nitida

Baphia nitida, common name camwood, African sandalwood, originated from West Africa.  It is of subfamily Faboideae  of family Fabaceae ( legume family ). 

The genus name Baphia is from Greek word ‘baphe’ which means dye, of which the wood yields red dye.  Species name ‘nitida’  refer to its leaves which are shining. 

It is a shrubby tree capable to grow up to 5 meter under full sun.  Tolerate to shade.

Flower is white, with yellow center.  Fruit pod dehiscent, with 2 -3 seeds inside.

There are records of propagation via seeds.  But I seldom encounter any fruiting, eventhough yes, viable seeds. Thus never attempted propagation via seed germination.

However, propagation with air-layered is highly successful. 

B. nitida requires plenty of water to thrive.  It grows well on well-drained soil.  Growth is stunted under water-logged soils.

Its wood is commonly used to make red dye.  The dye is of brilliant colour, but not permanent. 

The wood is also used in making knife handles, violin bows, and personal items.

B. nitida is also use in landscaping, as boundary plant, sound barrier, and hedges.

3 subfamilies of Fabaceae

Fabaceae ( or known as Leguminosae ) is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. It is commonly known as the legume family, pea family, bean family or pulse famiy.

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The name ‘Fabaceae’ comes from the defunct genus Faba, now included into Vicia. However, Leguminosae is still considered a valid name.

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Fabaceae is the 3^rd largest family of flowering plants, with some 730 genera and over 19,400 species. The largest genus is Astragalus, with more than 2,000 species. Acacia have more than 900 species, Indigofera have some 700 species, Crotalaria have 600 species, and Mimosa have 500 species.

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The Fabaceae are placed in the order Fabales, according to most taxonomic system.

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The Fabaceae comprise 3 subfamilies : Mimosoideae, Caesalpinioideae, and Faboideae/Papilionoideae.

Mimosoideae have some 80 genera and 3,200 species.

Classified in 4 tribes : Acacieae, Ingeae, Mimoseae, Mimozygantheae.

Distributed mostly tropic and warm temperate Asia and America.

Flowers with small petals and numerous prominent stamens. Inflorescences actinomorphic, capitate clusters, spikes or racemes.

Fruit dry when mature, dehiscent along both groove.

Leaves bicompound.

Nodulation is common.

Monophyletic.

Important species : Acacia acuminate, Adenanthere pavonina (saga), Mimosa pudica, Parkia speciosa (petai).

Caesalpinioideae have some 170 genera and 2,000 species.

Classified in 4 tribes : Caesalpinieae, Cassieae, Cerdieae & Detarieae.

Distributed cosmopolitan.

Caesalpinioideae are mainly trees, distributed in the moist tropics.

Flowers with non-papilionaceous corolla, petals not equals, stamen 10 or fewer. Inflorecence spikes, racemes or heads.

Fruit varies.

Leave compound.

Nodulation is rare.

Paraphyletic.

Important species : Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Delonix regia, Senna alexandrina, bauhinia blakeana.

Faboideae, also know as Papilioinoideae, have some 470 genera and 14,000 species.

Classified in 32 tribes : Abreae, Adesmieae, Aeschynomeneae, Amorpheae, Bossiaeeae, Brongniartieae, Carmichaelieae, Cicereae, Crotalarieae, Dalbergieae, Desmodieae, Dipterygeae, Euchreasteae, Galegeae, Genisteae, Hedysareae, Indigofereae, Liparieae, Loteae, Millettieae, Mirbelieae, Phaseoleae, Podalyrieae, Psoraleeae, Robinieae, Sesbanieae, Sophoreae, Swartzieae, Termospsideae, Trifolieae, Vicieae.

Faboideae may be trees, shrubs or herbs, distributed cosmopolitan.

Flowers with papilionaceous corolla, petals not equal. Stamen 10, often united into a tube, uppermost filament free. Infrorecence strongly zygomorphic, spikes or racemes.

Fruit dry when mature, dehiscent along both sutures or breaking into loments.

Leaves compound, palmate or pinnate.

Nodulation is common.

Monophyletic sensu stricto

Important species : Archis hypogea (peanut), Cicer arietum (chickpea), Glycine max (soybean), Lens culinaris (lentil), Medicago sativa (alfafa), Phaseolus vulgaris (French bean), Pisum sativum ( common pea), Vigna sesquipedalis (long bean).