''Melolobium'' is a genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s belonging to the legume family,

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

. It includes 14 species of small shrubs or perennial herbs native to southern Africa, which are found in southern and eastern

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

, southwestern

Botswana Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the sou ...

, and most of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. These plants are perennial herbs and small shrubs. Leaves are often sticky with exudate from small surface glands. Some have spine-tipped branches. The leaves have three leaflets. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

is a terminal

raceme A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate growth, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are ...

of flowers. The flowers are yellow, sometimes fading orange or purple.Moteetee, A., & van Wyk, B. E. (2006)
A revision of the genus ''Melolobium'' (Genisteae, Fabacaeae).
''South African Journal of Botany'', 72(1), 51-98.

Species

''Melolobium'' comprises the following species: * '' Melolobium adenodes'' Eckl. & Zeyh. * ''

Melolobium aethiopicum ''Melolobium'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the legume family, Fabaceae. It includes 14 species of small shrubs or perennial herbs native to southern Africa, which are found in southern and eastern Namibia, southwestern Botswana, a ...

'' (L.) Druce * '' Melolobium alpinum'' Eckl. & Zeyh. * '' Melolobium calycinum'' Benth. * ''

Melolobium candicans ''Melolobium'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the legume family, Fabaceae. It includes 14 species of small shrubs or perennial herbs native to southern Africa, which are found in southern and eastern Namibia, southwestern Botswana, a ...

'' (E. Mey.) Eckl. & Zeyh. * '' Melolobium exudans'' Harv. * ''

Melolobium humile ''Melolobium'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the legume family, Fabaceae. It includes 14 species of small shrubs or perennial herbs native to southern Africa, which are found in southern and eastern Namibia, southwestern Botswana, a ...

'' Eckl. & Zeyh. * ''

Melolobium lampolobum ''Melolobium'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the legume family, Fabaceae. It includes 14 species of small shrubs or perennial herbs native to southern Africa, which are found in southern and eastern Namibia, southwestern Botswana, a ...

'' (E.Mey.) Moteetee & B.-E.van Wyk * ''

Melolobium macrocalyx ''Melolobium'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the legume family, Fabaceae. It includes 14 species of small shrubs or perennial herbs native to southern Africa, which are found in southern and eastern Namibia, southwestern Botswana, a ...

'' Dümmer * ''

Melolobium microphyllum ''Melolobium'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the legume family, Fabaceae. It includes 14 species of small shrubs or perennial herbs native to southern Africa, which are found in southern and eastern Namibia, southwestern Botswana, a ...

'' (L.f.) Eckl. & Zeyh. * ''

Melolobium obcordatum ''Melolobium'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the legume family, Fabaceae. It includes 14 species of small shrubs or perennial herbs native to southern Africa, which are found in southern and eastern Namibia, southwestern Botswana, a ...

'' Harv. * ''

Melolobium stipulatum ''Melolobium'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the legume family, Fabaceae. It includes 14 species of small shrubs or perennial herbs native to southern Africa, which are found in southern and eastern Namibia, southwestern Botswana, a ...

'' Harv. * ''

Melolobium subspicatum ''Melolobium subspicatum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is found only in South Africa. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, and it is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruct ...

'' Conrath * ''

Melolobium wilmsii ''Melolobium'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the legume family, Fabaceae. It includes 14 species of small shrubs or perennial herbs native to southern Africa, which are found in southern and eastern Namibia, southwestern Botswana, a ...

'' Harms

References

Genisteae Fabaceae genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Flora of Southern Africa {{Faboideae-stub