Aeschynomene villosa
Aeschynomene villosa, or villose jointvetch, is a flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is native to tropical and subtropical America, reaching Arizona in the north, and has been introduced to parts of Asia and Australia. It has also been studied and grown as a pasture legume.[1][2]
Appearance and growth
The Tropical Forages profile describes spreading to weakly upright plants, with stems reaching about a metre. Each leaf has twenty to fifty small leaflets. Yellow flowers give rise to bristly, segmented pods. The dark bases of the bristles contrast with the paler pod surface.[3]
The species includes annual and longer-lived forms. The Australian cultivars 'Reid' and 'Kretschmer' can persist for more than three years under favourable conditions, according to their published cultivar account.[2] This does not establish that every wild population is equally long-lived.
Distribution
Kew lists native occurrences across Mexico and Central America, parts of the Caribbean and northern South America, with Bolivia also included. Its introduction records include India, Sri Lanka, Java, New Guinea and parts of Australia.[1]
A 2004 paper reported the species from Savali taluka in Gujarat's Vadodara district as a new record for India. That publication documents its recognition there; it does not establish when the plant first arrived.[4]
Pasture cultivars
'Reid' and 'Kretschmer' originated from separate Mexican seed collections. The former came from near Ciudad Maíz in San Luis Potosí and the latter from Corral Falso in Veracruz. Their 2001 cultivar account describes 'Reid' as more prostrate, with darker seeds, and 'Kretschmer' as more upright. Both were marketed together in a seed mixture called Villomix at the time.[2]
The account reports differences in flowering and growth under Australian trial conditions. It also notes mildew and other fungal problems, and states that specific cattle liveweight-gain data were not yet available. These cultivars' selection for pasture should therefore not be read as proof of a particular livestock-production benefit.[2]
The broader forage profile reports that seeds can spread in water and after being eaten by livestock. It also records limitations in dry conditions and problems maintaining the plant in some pastures.[3]
Botanical treatment
Kew accepts two varieties, mexicana and villosa. Older forage literature also lists longifolia separately, but Kew places that name under var. villosa. The article covers the accepted species rather than one cultivar or variety.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Aeschynomene villosa Poir. Plants of the World Online. Accessed 9 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Bishop, H. G. and Cook, B. G. (2001). New herbage plant cultivar: B. legumes 17. Jointvetch Aeschynomene villosa Poir. (villose jointvetch) cvv. Reid and Kretschmer. Tropical Grasslands 35(1), 59–61. Accessed 9 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tropical Forages. Aeschynomene villosa: species profile. Accessed 9 October 2026.
- ↑ Dave, M. (2004). Aeschynomene villosa Poir. (Fabaceae): A New Record for India. Rheedea 14(1–2), 61–62; doi:10.22244/rheedea.2004.14.1-2.07. Accessed 9 October 2026.