Canary Pea

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Canary Pea
• Shrubby Yellow Eriosema
• Yellow Seed
• Yellowseed Eriosema

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Eriosema cajanoides
• Crotalaria psoraleoides
• Rhynchosia cajanoides
• Rhynchosia psoraloides
• Rhynchosia polystachya
• Eriosema psoraleoides var. grandiflorum
• Eriosema proschii
• Eriosema macrophyllum
• Eriosema incanum

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Eriosema psoraleoides, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. It is classified under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, falling within the order Fabales. Finally, it is a member of the family Fabaceae and the genus Eriosema.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is found across several specific regions within West Tropical Africa. Its geographical presence begins in the nation of Benin. It is also documented to grow within the borders of Burkina. Furthermore, the species can be located in Gambia and Ghana. Finally, its distribution extends to the country of Guinea-Bissau.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Eriosema psoraleoides is characterized by its adaptation to diverse open landscapes, primarily thriving within grasslands, Acacia savannas, and managed paddock environments. This species exhibits a broad vertical distribution across varied topographical gradients, occupying a significant elevational range that begins at just 6 m AMSL and extends to a maximum altitude of 1400 m AMSL. Such a wide altitudinal span suggests a high degree of ecological plasticity, allowing the plant to persist in both lowland tropical or subtropical settings and higher-elevation montane ecosystems.

Elevational range max:

1400 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

6 m AMSL

Habitat :

grassland, Acacia savanna, paddocks

Life history

The life history of Eriosema psoraleoides is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural growth strategy and positioning relative to the soil surface, it is classified as a chamaphyte, meaning its permanent shoots are located close to the ground. This life form reflects its specialized adaptation to its ecological niche, maintaining a low-lying profile that dictates its survival and reproductive patterns throughout its long-term lifecycle.

Life form :

chamaephyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Eriosema psoraleoides is characterized by a growth form that functions as both a herb and a subshrub, displaying a woody texture in its structure. This plant is not an epiphyte or a parasite, operating as an independent organism within its habitat. While it can inhabit various moisture regimes, its primary ecological classification is terrestrial, though it may exist in semiaquatic or aquatic environments. In terms of stature, it is a self-supporting plant that does not rely on climbing structures, with a plant height that typically ranges from a minimum of 0.15 m to a maximum of 2 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

subshrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

2 m

Plant height min:

0.15 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Eriosema psoraleoides is characterized by its reliance on the C3 photosynthetic pathway, a metabolic process where the first stable product of carbon fixation is a three-carbon molecule. Unlike plants utilizing C4 or CAM pathways to conserve water or optimize carbon uptake in arid environments, this species operates through the direct fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide via the enzyme RuBisCO during the light-independent reactions of photosynthesis. This C3 mechanism dictates the plant's gas exchange patterns and water-use efficiency, as it necessitates the maintenance of open stomata during daylight hours to facilitate CO2 diffusion, thereby influencing its overall transpiration rates and metabolic response to environmental humidity and light intensity.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Eriosema psoraleoides is characterized by specific seed morphology and diverse dispersal mechanisms. The seeds produced by this species exhibit a relatively consistent mass, with a mean seed mass of 0.02162 g, ranging from a minimum of 0.02005 g to a maximum of 0.02319 g. In terms of dispersal, the plant primarily utilizes an autochorous syndrome, meaning it relies on self-dispersal mechanisms. However, its reproductive strategy is multifaceted, encompassing a broad spectrum of dispersal syndromes including anemochorous, zoochorous, hydrochorous, and unspecialized methods. Furthermore, the dispersal profile extends to include anthropochorous, endozoochorous, epizoochorous, and myrmecochorous pathways, suggesting that while it possesses inherent self-dispersal capabilities, it also interacts with various environmental vectors such as wind, water, animals, and human activity to facilitate seed distribution.

Dispersal syndrome :

autochorous

Seed mass max:

0.02319 g

Seed mass mean:

0.02162 g

Seed mass min:

0.02005 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Eriosema psoraleoides has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include root.

Root

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Chemicals

Eriosema psoraleoides has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include genistein, methanol.

genistein

1. Dr. Duke

methanol

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Activities

Eriosema psoraleoides has 73 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Abortifacient, Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor, Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor, Analgesic, Antiaggregant.

Abortifacient

1. Dr. Duke

Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Analgesic

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antiaggregant

1. Dr. Duke

Antiangiogenic

1. Dr. Duke

Antiatherosclerotic

1. Dr. Duke

Anticancer (Breast)

1. Dr. Duke

Anticarcinomic (Breast)

1. Dr. Duke

Anticlimacteric

1. Dr. Duke

Conditions

Eriosema psoraleoides has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include analgesic.

Analgesic

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Preparations

Eriosema psoraleoides has 1 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include methanol root extract.

Methanol root extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology