3856.000 Abrus Adans.

Brummitt, R.K., Harder, D.K., Lewis, G.P., Lock, J.M., Polhill, R.M. & Verdcourt, B. (2007) Leguminosae Subfamily Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(3)

Description of the genus

Woody subshrubs or lianes. Leaves paripinnate; leaflets numerous, opposite, the rhachis projecting beyond the last pair. Inflorescences axillary or terminal; bracts and bracteoles present. Flowers white, yellow, pink or purple. Pod linear or oblong. Seeds subspherical or ellipsoid and flattened, usually shining, sometimes bright red and black (precatorius).

Worldwide: 17 species occurring throughout the tropics

DRC: 4 taxa.

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Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesBotanical divisionsContent
canescens Welw. ex Baker
melanospermus (Hassk.) D.K.Harder subsp. suffruticosus (Boutique) D.K.Harder
melanospermus Hassk. subsp. tenuiflorus (Benth.) D.K. Harder
precatorius L. subsp. africanus Verdc.Description, Image

Other sources of information about Abrus:

Our websites:

Flora of Angola: Abrus
Flora of Botswana: Abrus
Flora of Burundi: Abrus
Flora of Caprivi: Abrus
Flora of Kenya: Abrus
Flora of Malawi: Abrus
Flora of Mozambique: Abrus
Flora of Rwanda: Abrus
Flora of Tanzania: Abrus
Flora of Uganda: Abrus
Flora of Zambia: Abrus
Flora of Zimbabwe: Abrus

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Abrus
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Abrus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Abrus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Abrus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Abrus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Abrus
JSTOR Plant Science: Abrus
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Abrus
Plants of the World Online: Abrus
Tropicos: Abrus
Wikipedia: Abrus

Copyright: The DRC flora team, 2024-26

The DRC flora team (2026). Flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Genus page: Abrus.
https://www.drcongoflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=757, retrieved 1 November 2026

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