Snoutbean
Rhynchosia totta
- Native to:
- Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Hildegard Klein,Wood, John Medley, 1827-1915.
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Rhynchosia
- Species:
- Rhynchosia totta
- USDA Symbol:
- RHTO9
Growth Characteristics
- Height:
- 100 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from rootstock following fire, typical of African savanna legumes.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- well-drained, sandy or loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 14–42 days
- Notes:
- Hard seed coat typical of Fabaceae requires scarification. Germination improved with mechanical scarification or hot water treatment.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI