Lessertia (plant)
Lessertia frutescens, Illustration by William Curtis
The balloon peas ( Lessertia ) are a genus of the subfamily Fabaceae ( Faboideae ) in the legume family ( Fabaceae, Leguminosae). Closely related are they with the bladder shrubs ( Colutea ). The genus is named after the French botanist Jules Paul Benjamin Delessert.
Description
Balloon peas are usually perennial, rarely annual, herbaceous plants or shrubs. The shoot axis is erect or decumbent. The leaves are imparipinnate or rarely simple. The stipules are paired.
The standing on paired bracts flowers are appearing in extended or almost capitate, axillary, racemose inflorescences together, or rarely stand alone. The small, zygomorphic flowers are 6 to 10 millimeters long. The calyx teeth are more or less the same. The spiked petals are pink, purple or yellow. Pollination is by birds ( Ornithophilie ).
The legumes are oblong, compressed or rarely bloated and are spread out over the wind.
Dissemination
The genus is found mainly in Africa, with the distribution center in the south, only the species L. benguellensis, L. pauciflora, L. incana and L. stipulata also occur in tropical regions.
Use
Various species of the genus are used as animal feed or in traditional medicine as a healing plant. A infusions of L. argentata and L. tomentosa are used to treat eye diseases, the leaves of L. stenoloba and L. inflata as a laxative and L. macrostachya against stomach and liver pain. A powder of L. benguellensis is used to treat syphilis, sore throat and bloody urine.
System
Some authors will have very similar genus Sutherlandia R.Br. in the genre of the balloon peas ( Lessertia ) with classified. Both genera are in the habit very similar, with the Sutherlandia flowers are 15 to 30 millimeters long and red, and the fruit larger than Lessertia. The genus of shrubs bladder ( Colutea ) is of the genus Lessertia very similar, so that the arrangement of many species is controversial:
Currently includes 50 to 75 species to the genus:
- Lessertia abbreviata E.Mey.
- Lessertia acanthorhachis Dinter
- Lessertia acuminata E.Mey.
- Lessertia affinis Burtt Davy
- Lessertia annularis Burch.
- Lessertia arcuata Eckl. & Zeyh.
- Lessertia argentea Harv.
- Lessertia astragalina Meisn.
- Lessertia benguellensis Baker
- Lessertia brachypus Harv.
- Lessertia brachystachya DC.
- Lessertia candida E.Mey.
- Lessertia canescens Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
- Lessertia capensis Druce
- Lessertia capitata E.Mey.
- Lessertia carnosa Eckl. & Zeyh.
- Lessertia Cryptantha Dinter
- Lessertia depressa Harv.
- Lessertia diffusa R.Br.
- Lessertia distans Burtt Davy
- Lessertia dubia Druce
- Lessertia dykei L.Bolus
- Lessertia emarginata Schinz
- Lessertia eremicola Dinter
- Lessertia excisa DC.
- Lessertia falciformis DC.
- Lessertia flanaganii L.Bolus
- Lessertia flexuosa E.Mey.
- Lessertia frutescens (L.) Goldblatt & J. C. Manning
- Lessertia fruticosa Lindl.
- Lessertia globosa L.Bolus
- Lessertia harveyana L.Bolus
- Lessertia herbacea Druce
- Lessertia incana Schinz
- Lessertia inflata Harv.
- Lessertia kensitii L.Bolus
- Lessertia lanata Harv.
- Lessertia macrostachya DC.
- Lessertia margaritacea E.Mey.
- Lessertia microcarpa E.Mey.
- Lessertia miniata Salter
- Lessertia monticola Cunn. ex A. Gray
- Lessertia mossii R.Young
- Lessertia mucronata Harv.
- Lessertia nana R.Young
- Lessertia obtusa DC.
- Lessertia obtusata Eckl. & Zeyh.
- Lessertia pappeana Harv.
- Lessertia pauciflora Harv.
- Lessertia phillipsiana Burtt Davy
- Lessertia physodes Eckl. & Zeyh.
- Lessertia polystachya Harv.
- Lessertia propinqua Eckl. & Zeyh.
- Lessertia prostrata DC.
- Lessertia pubescens DC.
- Lessertia pulchra Sims
- Lessertia purpurea R.Young
- Lessertia rigida DC.
- Lessertia schlechteri bolus
- Lessertia seineri Harms His ex
- Lessertia sneeuwbergensis Germish.
- Lessertia spinescens E.Mey.
- Lessertia stenoloba E.Mey.
- Lessertia stipulata Baker f
- Lessertia stricta bolus
- Lessertia subcanescens Gand.
- Lessertia subumbellata Harv.
- Lessertia sulcata E.Mey.
- Lessertia tenuifolia E.Mey.
- Lessertia thodei L.Bolus
- Lessertia tomentosa DC.
- Lessertia tumida Eckl. & Zeyh.
- Lessertia venusta Eckl. & Zeyh.
- Lessertia vesicaria DC.
- Lessertia villosa E.Mey.
Swell
- Genus Lessertia at Plantzafrica (South African National Biodiversity Institute)
- Genus Lassertia at PlantNet: New South Wales Flora Online