As recorded for Large Tephrosia
Ecology & growing context
- Native status · Kew WCVP
- WCVP native range includes India Kew dataset ↗
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: Tanzania, India, Sri Lanka.
- Recorded habitat
- Rocky areas, waste places and sea coasts, also foot hills of deciduous forests
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Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.
How to identify Large Tephrosia
Identify Large Tephrosia by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a undershrub habit.
- Confirm leaf type: Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk).
- Confirm leaf surface: Glaucous (waxy blue-grey bloom).
- Confirm flower colour: Purple.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: June-January.
- Confirm it sits within the Fabaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Large Tephrosia.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Tephrosia maxima
- Genus
- Tephrosia
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Habit
- Undershrub
- Habitat
- Rocky areas, waste places and sea coasts, also foot hills of deciduous forests
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, East Africa
- Flowering & fruiting
- June-January
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk)recorded
- Leaf surface
- Glaucous (waxy blue-grey bloom)recorded
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Large Tephrosia itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- PurplerecordedPurple or violet
Typical of the family
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Legume
Characters marked “recorded” are for Large Tephrosia itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family — flowering plants only.
About Large Tephrosia
Large Tephrosia (Tephrosia maxima) belongs to the Fabaceae family, where it grows as a low shrub. It grows in rocky areas, waste places and sea coasts, also foot hills of deciduous forests. Flowering and fruiting run from June to January.

Fabaceae
Legume/Bean family
Large Tephrosia belongs to the Fabaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Fabaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
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