Microcharis asparagoides (Taub.) Schrire

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Nyarubuye, Kirehe

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Synonyms:	Indigofera asparagoides Taub.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Shortly erect annual, or perennial with a woody rootstock and numerous slender prostrate or ascending stems up to 60 cm. long, glabrous to very sparingly strigulose. Stipules subulate, about 1 mm. long; rhachis up to 3 cm. long, including a petiole of c. 4 mm., prolonged up to 13 mm. beyond the lateral leaflets into a point which looks like a terminal leaflet, but there is no trace of a joint; lateral leaflets mostly 4-12 (sometimes 2 in leaves subtending inflorescences), cylindrical, resembling the rhachis, up to 12 mm. long; terminal leaflet absent. Raceme slender, slightly zigzag, 1-10-flowered, up to 10 cm. long, including a peduncle of up to 5 cm.; bracts subulate ± 1 mm. long; pedicels up to 5 mm. long. Calyx divided to the middle, 2 mm. long. Corolla red or purplish pink, standard 4-5 mm long, wings extending beyond the standard and the keel, 5–7 mm long. Pod straight, 8-25 mm. long, c. 1.7 mm. wide and 1 mm. thick.
Type location:	Tanzania, Bukoba
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	asparagoides: like an Asparagus; probably referring to the fine, needle-like leaflets. .
Habitat:	In savanna scrub, seasonally marshy places, grassland and fallow land.
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Gabon, Congo, DR Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia.
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 128. Schrire, B.D. (2012). Papilionoideae-Indigofereae Flora Zambesiaca 3(4) Pages 17 - 19. (Includes a picture). Troupin, G. (1983). Fabaceae (Papilionaceae) Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume II Pages 37 - 40. as Indigofera asparagoides (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Microcharis asparagoides:

Our websites:

Flora of the DRC: Microcharis asparagoides
Flora of Rwanda: Microcharis asparagoides
Flora of Zambia: Microcharis asparagoides

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Microcharis asparagoides
African Plant Database: Microcharis asparagoides
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Microcharis asparagoides
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Microcharis asparagoides
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Microcharis asparagoides
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Microcharis asparagoides
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Microcharis asparagoides
JSTOR Plant Science: Microcharis asparagoides
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Microcharis asparagoides
Plants of the World Online: Microcharis asparagoides
Tropicos: Microcharis asparagoides
Wikipedia: Microcharis asparagoides