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Tephrosia purpurea

(L.) Pers. (1807)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Genus: Tephrosia

‘auhola [auhola], ‘auhuhu [auhuhu], hola

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: short-lived subshrubs up to 1.5 m tall.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound. Alternate. Leaflets 7–15(–21), oblanceolate, elliptic–oblong, or obovate, (5–)10–32 mm long, (2–)5–11 mm wide. Lower surfaces inconspicuously strigillose. Leaflet margins entire. Lateral veins paired, parallel, forming a sharp angle with the midrib, extending to the margin. Petiolate. Stipules present.

Flowers: Flowers in clusters on a short, upcurved just before reflexion of the standard, in inflorescences up to 25 cm long, thick axis, bracts present. Flowers papilionaceous; bracteoles absent. Calyx 5-lobed, strigillose to sericeous, teeth deltate, the lowest one 2.5–3 mm long, the others 2–2.5 mm long. Corolla pale pink, purple, or sometimes nearly white, standard 6–10 mm long, standard suborbicular, without basal auricles. Stamens 10; upper stamen distinct at base, the other 9 connate into a tube. Ovary superior, sessile.

Fruit: Pods linear; 20–45 mm long; 3–5 mm wide; strigillose; beaked; curved slightly upward toward tip; twisting when dehisced. Seeds 2–9; pale brown to black; rectangular to transversely elliptic; 2.5–5 mm long; 1.8–3 mm wide.

Ploidy: 2n = 16; 22; 24; 44

Habitat: Primarily on dry; rocky; or clay soil in coastal sites; on open lava fields; dry slopes; and ridges; and in pastures.

Elevation Range: 5–610 m.

Historical Distribution

Accepted Subtaxa (in Hawai'i) (1)

Tephrosia purpurea subsp. purpurea

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Parts of the plant contain tephrosin, which stuns fish but not mammals, used in tide pools to poison & capture fish (Abbott 1992:86).

  • The leaves and leaf buds are ground and mixed with salt, niu (coconut, Cocos nucifera), as a topical treatment for cuts; also for itchy skin (Chun 1994:49).

CULTURE

  • [I] He ‘apu ‘auhuhu koheoheo. A poisonous concoction made of ‘auhuhu. A person of poisonous nature. [II] He i‘a ua nipoa i ka ‘auhuhu. A fish stunned by ‘auhuhu juice. Said of one under the influence of sorcery or other evil.

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Ni'ihau(Incl. Lehua) Naturalized
Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Kaho'olawe Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Specimens

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Notes

  • 5-610m
  • Description digitized by Joanne Lum
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • leaves contain tephrosin, which drugs fish but not mammals

Bibliography

Name Published In: Syn. Pl. 2: 329 (1807)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. Kawaa Bay, Kau PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Meinecke, W.H. 50 Hawaii BISH 12/5/1969
2 Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. Kamiloloa Heights Dry lowland shrubland. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hughes, G.D. s.n. Molokai BISH 1/8/1992
3 Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. nokukano development site makai of the belt road. captin cook. on the small ridge which runs mauka-makai from the old railroad tressel to just above the ocean Found among rocks. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN funk, e.j. collector number: s.n. Hawaii BISH 11/1/1991
4 Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. makai [seaward] of waiohinu, kau PRESERVED_SPECIMEN otto degener; isa degener 33674 WIS 2/16/1976
5 Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. Voyage de M. J. Remy, 1851-1855 PRESERVED_SPECIMEN J. Remy 651 Oahu PTBG
6 Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. island of oahu, at diamond head, PRESERVED_SPECIMEN heller, a.a. EMC 1895-03-28
7 Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. trail from ke'e to hanakapi'i beach. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN s. starratt 433 GH 3/28/1980
8 Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. near 1977 kalapana lava flow, puna PRESERVED_SPECIMEN otto degener; isa degener 34439 NY 10/14/1977
9 Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. kamiloloa heights Dry lowland shrubland. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN hughes, g.d. collector number: s.n. Molokai BISH 1/8/1992
10 Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. nokukano development site makai of the belt road. captin cook. on the small ridge which runs mauka-makai from the old railroad tressel to just above the ocean PRESERVED_SPECIMEN funk, e.j. collector number: s.n. Kauai BISH 11/1/1991
11 Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. kawaa bay, kau PRESERVED_SPECIMEN meinecke, w.h. collector number: 50 Hawaii BISH 12/5/1969
12 Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. Nokukano Development Site makai of the belt road. Captin Cook. On the small ridge which runs mauka-makai from the old railroad tressel to just above the ocean Found among rocks. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Funk, E.J. s.n. Hawaii BISH 11/1/1991
13 Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. Manana Island PRESERVED_SPECIMEN M.L.Grant BISH 8/26/1934
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