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Centrosema molle

Mart. ex Benth. (1837)

This name is accepted

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

soft butterfly pea

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form:

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves:

Flowers:

Fruit:

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Only found in cultivation
Maui Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Comm. Legum. Gen.: 55 (1837)

Other References

Flynn & Lorence 1998:5 (NEWNAT/K [as C. pubescens], DESCR); Starr et al. 2003:27 (EM); Imada et al. 2008:13 (O); Fantz 1996:330/Wagner & Herbst 2003:24 (C. pubescens misapplied = C. molle)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Centrosema molle U.H.Campus, Mauka Field Laboratory (Dept. of Agronomy and Soils) full sun; climbing on brush at the edge of a cultivated field Preserved_Specimen vine with stems several meters long. Inner surface of standard lavender with a bordered by purple. Outer surface of standard chartreuse and cream. Keel and wings white to cream with some lavender at tips and edges. Lau, J. 1696 Oahu BISH 1985-12-02
2 Centrosema molle Kawaihau District, near Lihue District border. Kauai Hindu Monastery, Wailua Homesteads Alien dominated Moist-Mesic Forest. Preserved_Specimen Dense mass of vines, dominating low-lying areas along streams and old irrigation ditches. Leafs dark dull green, flowrs pale lilac. Brock, K. 1076 Kauai BISH 2017-11-29
3 Centrosema molle Windward Koolau Mountains, Waihee Valley Weedy vine growing alongside dirt road, clambering over alien shrubs and trees. Growing with Wedelia, Mimosa. Common along this stretch of road. Preserved_Specimen Flower papilionoid, light purple with dark purple lines in the throat. Imada, C. 200710 Oahu BISH 2007-05-21
4 Centrosema molle W Kuiaha Rd, Haiku Growing in lowland wet roadside, residential scrub with Citharexylum and Leucaena. Preserved_Specimen Sprawling patch. Starr, F. 6112801 Maui BISH 2006-11-28
5 Centrosema molle Koloa, Kalaheo, Kikala Road. Honua Farms (Emrick residence) along fence. Preserved_Specimen vine. Standard purple with darker purple strip around white center patch near center of petal: keel paler. Flynn, T.W. 1958 Kauai BISH 1986-11-17
6 Centrosema molle East Maui, Makawao District, Haiku, Ulumalu Sprawling & twining in pastures. Wet, lowland pastures of Andropogon virginicus, w. Paraserianthes, Schefflera, Clusia, and Ficus cf. platypoda. Preserved_Specimen Climbing, crawling, twining vine; foliage trifoliate, odd pinnate leaflets, stems solid; flowers purple, roundish, standard longer than wings & keel; fruit pods. Starr, F. 11301 Maui BISH 2000-11-30
7 Centrosema molle Anahola, unpaved road mauka of Hole in the Mountain Lookout over roadside shrubbery Preserved_Specimen Stem and petiole green with hairs yellowish. Leaves above slightly glossy. Flowers 3 x 3 cm. Calyx pale green to whitish. Standard mostly lilac, with darker purple markings on either side of central yellow vein, abaxially glossy yellow-green. Keel and standards lilac to nearly white. Staminal column white. Pistal white becoming pale green at tip. Pods medium green tinged purple, with median stripe nearly white whole length of pod. Hume, L. 280 Kauai BISH 1988-12-01
8 Centrosema molle Kawaihau District, upper Wailua Homesteads along Hwy 580, ca .5 miles beyond sntrance to Ag. Exp. Sta. Secondary vegetation of Psidium, Leucaena, Thunbergia, Chrysophyllus and Wedelia Preserved_Specimen Vine climbing up into Leucaena; leaves dark dull green above,dull, paler below; standard pale purple )lilac) w/in with dark purple central stripes bordering cream to pale yellow central stripe, pale greenish-cream w/out; wings & keel whitish (Cont.) Flynn, T.W. 6126 Kauai BISH 1997-04-19
9 Centrosema molle USDA Plant Materials Center; grass and legume groundcover trial, initial testing field 8A; row 2; plot 1; HA-4703; seeds collected at Ponape Agric. Station Preserved_Specimen Vigorous dense compact sprawling vine; lvs dull medium green, wrinkled; flrs lavender to white, pealike; pod green to white, ridged. No disease or insect problems noted. Evans, M. 73 Molokai BISH 1990-07-09
10 Centrosema molle Wailua, side of Hwy 580. Pass the University of Hawaii Wailua Experiment Station fence along the road. Preserved_Specimen Vining on fence. Standard lavender, wings white, keel white w/ lavender brown center, anther yellow, filament white. Leaves dark gree,. Bud light green. Pods skinny light brown, seeds light brown with black oil on water pattern, rounded at one apex, flat at the other. Naturalized Tangalin, N. 1275 Kauai BISH 2007-05-24
11 Centrosema molle East Maui, Makawao District, Hamakuapoko Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 50208 Maui BISH 2002-05-04
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