''Eriosema'' is a genus of

legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...

in the family

Fabaceae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenc ...

. Accepted species number over 150. The genus is widespread in tropics.

Description

Species of ''Eriosema'' are mostly

herbs In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

or shrublets. Leaves are

pinnately Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...

3-foliolate, rarely reduced to a single leaflet. Inflorescences are 1–2-flowered or pedunculate racemes in the leaf

axils A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

, yellow to orange, calyx is campanulate, consists of five similar lobes. Pods are short and flattened with two seeds.

Selected species

* ''

Eriosema campestre ''Eriosema'' is a genus of legume in the family Fabaceae. Accepted species number over 150. The genus is widespread in tropics. Description Species of ''Eriosema'' are mostly herbs or shrublets. Leaves are pinnately 3-foliolate, rarely reduced ...

'' Benth. — Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil * ''

Eriosema chinense ''Eriosema'' is a genus of legume in the family Fabaceae. Accepted species number over 150. The genus is widespread in tropics. Description Species of ''Eriosema'' are mostly herbs or shrublets. Leaves are pinnately 3-foliolate, rarely reduced ...

'' Vogel — South-East Asia, East Himalaya, India, New Guinea, Australia * ''

Eriosema defoliatum ''Eriosema'' is a genus of legume in the family Fabaceae. Accepted species number over 150. The genus is widespread in tropics. Description Species of ''Eriosema'' are mostly herbs or shrublets. Leaves are pinnately 3-foliolate, rarely reduced ...

'' Benth. — Brazil * ''

Eriosema glabrum ''Eriosema'' is a genus of legume in the family Fabaceae. Accepted species number over 150. The genus is widespread in tropics. Description Species of ''Eriosema'' are mostly herbs or shrublets. Leaves are pinnately 3-foliolate, rarely reduced ...

Mart. Carl Friedrich Philipp (Karl Friedrich Philipp) von Martius (17 April 1794 – 13 December 1868) was a German botanist and explorer. Life Martius was born at Erlangen, the son of Prof Ernst Wilhelm Martius, court apothecary. He graduated PhD f ...

ex Benth. — Argentina, Brazil * ''

Eriosema glaziovii ''Eriosema'' is a genus of legume in the family Fabaceae. Accepted species number over 150. The genus is widespread in tropics. Description Species of ''Eriosema'' are mostly herbs or shrublets. Leaves are pinnately 3-foliolate, rarely reduced ...

Harms Harms surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Chris Harms (born 1956), Australian cricketer * Claus Harms (1778–1855), German evangelical minister * Daniil Harms (1905–1942), English transcription: Daniil Kharms, Russian writer * ...

— Brazil * ''

Eriosema harmsianum ''Eriosema'' is a genus of legume in the family Fabaceae. Accepted species number over 150. The genus is widespread in tropics. Description Species of ''Eriosema'' are mostly herbs or shrublets. Leaves are pinnately 3-foliolate, rarely reduced ...

'' Dinter — Namibia * ''

Eriosema kraussianum ''Eriosema'' is a genus of legume in the family Fabaceae. Accepted species number over 150. The genus is widespread in tropics. Description Species of ''Eriosema'' are mostly herbs or shrublets. Leaves are pinnately 3-foliolate, rarely reduced ...

'' Meisn. — South Africa * ''

Eriosema longifolium ''Eriosema'' is a genus of legume in the family Fabaceae. Accepted species number over 150. The genus is widespread in tropics. Description Species of ''Eriosema'' are mostly Herbaceous plant, herbs or shrublets. Leaves are Pinnately lobed, pin ...

'' Benth. — Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay * ''

Eriosema salignum ''Eriosema'' is a genus of legume in the family Fabaceae. Accepted species number over 150. The genus is widespread in tropics. Description Species of ''Eriosema'' are mostly Herbaceous plant, herbs or shrublets. Leaves are Pinnately lobed, pin ...

E.Mey. Ernst Heinrich Friedrich Meyer (1 January 1791 – 7 August 1858) was a German botanist and botanical historian. Born in Hanover, he lectured in Göttingen and in 1826 became a professor of botany at the University of Königsberg, as well as Dir ...

— South Africa * ''

Eriosema stenophyllum ''Eriosema'' is a genus of legume in the family Fabaceae. Accepted species number over 150. The genus is widespread in tropics. Description Species of ''Eriosema'' are mostly herbs or shrublets. Leaves are pinnately 3-foliolate, rarely reduced ...

'' Harms — Brazil File:Eriosema umtamvunense 1DS-II 9822.jpg, Eriosema umtamvunense in

Umtamvuna Nature Reserve The Umtamvuna Nature Reserve is situated in South Africa on the KwaZulu-Natal side of the Mtamvuna River, and is managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. The reserve is 3,257 hectares in extent and was established on 25 July 1971.Pooley, T. and Player ...

File:Flickr - João de Deus Medeiros - Eriosema longifolium.jpg, ''Eriosema longifolium'' in

Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park ( pt, Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros) is a national park of Brazil located in the state of Goiás, on the top of an ancient plateau with an estimated age of 1.8 billion years. The park was created on ...

File:Eriosema 2017 10 25 2204.jpg, ''Eriosema kraussianum'' in

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...

File:Eriosema salignum 1DS-II 1893.jpg, ''Eriosema salignum'' in fruit in South Africa.

Uses

Root tubers of ''Eriosema'' species have been traditional food for Aborigines of the Northern Territory.NTFlora Northern Territory Flora online:
''Flora of the Darwin Region: Fabaceae.''
Retrieved 10 June 2018

References

Phaseoleae Fabaceae genera Taxa named by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Phaseoleae-stub