Cordyla is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, placed in the order Fabales. It was described by João de Loureiro in 1790 in his Flora Cochinchinensis. Two genus names, Calycandra and Dupuya, are treated as synonyms of Cordyla in the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy.
The genus is native to sub-Saharan Africa, with its range split across two broad swaths of the continent: one stretching through northern Africa from Senegal to Somalia, and another running through eastern Africa from Sudan south to KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Cordyla is also represented on Madagascar, where several species are endemic.
As of April 2023, seven species were recognized as accepted within Cordyla, including Cordyla africana (native from Kenya to KwaZulu-Natal), Cordyla pinnata (native to western Africa from Senegal to Chad), and the Madagascar endemics Cordyla haraka and Cordyla madagascariensis. The GBIF Backbone Taxonomy lists 13 descendant taxa under the genus in total, reflecting both currently accepted species and additional names of doubtful or synonymous status.
Distribution
Cordyla species occur across two broad regions of sub-Saharan Africa — from Senegal to Somalia in the north, and from Sudan south to KwaZulu-Natal in the east — as well as on Madagascar, where several species are endemic.
Taxonomy Notes
Cordyla was described by Loureiro in 1790 (Flora Cochinchinensis) and is placed in the family Fabaceae, order Fabales. The genus names Calycandra and Dupuya are treated as synonyms. As of April 2023, seven species were accepted.
