Crotalaria abbreviata Baker f.

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit

Annual, ascending to 3 dm., usually with a short leading shoot and long prostrate lower branches.

Morphology Stem

Stem pilose or hirsute with rather tawny spreading hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets oblanceolate to obovate-elliptic, up to 12–36(–50) mm. long and 5–11 mm. wide, thinly pilose with mostly appressed hairs on both surfaces; petiole 3–6 mm. long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules filiform, 2–4·5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes shortly pedunculate, ± 2–3(–7) cm. long, with ± 5–15(–28) crowded flowers; bracts subulate or filiform, 2–4 mm. long; bracteoles inserted at the base of the calyx, similar to the bract, 1·5–2 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx becoming basally truncate and deflexed against the pedicel, 2·5–4 mm. long, pilose; lobes triangular, slightly acuminate, ± as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard suborbicular, pale yellow, veined purplish-brown and glabrous outside; wings longer than the keel; keel rounded about the middle, with a short straight untwisted beak, 4–5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod sessile, subglobose, slightly compressed laterally, 6–8 mm. long, densely covered with rather long soft or bristly hairs over a felty tomentum, rather thick-walled, (1–)2–4-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds oblique-cordiform, 3–3·8 mm. long, smooth, pale ochre-brown.

Habitat

Deciduous woodland, thicket and grassland, on sandy soils, sometimes in damp places and around lake shores, also persisting on roadsides and waste places; 750–1650 m.

Distribution

T4 T5

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian bushland and thicket, Zambezian grassland, Zambezian woodland

Morphology General Habit

Annual, Not climbing, Herb

Leguminosae, various authors. Flora Zambesiaca 3:7. 2003

Morphology General Habit

Shortly erect annual with long prostrate lower branches, pilose or hirsute with rather tawny spreading hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves shortly petiolate, 3-foliolate; leaflets 10–50 × 4–12 mm, oblanceolate to obovate-elliptic, subappressed pilose on both surfaces; stipules 2–4.5 mm long, filiform to linear-caudate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes shortly pedunculate, 2–3(7) cm long, with 5–16(28) crowded flowers; bracts 2–4 mm long, subulate-caudate or filiform; bracteoles inserted at the base of the calyx, 1.5–2 mm long, similar to the bract.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2.5–4 mm long, becoming basally truncate and deflexed against the pedicel, pilose; lobes triangular, slightly acuminate, ± as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard subcircular, pale yellow, veined purplish-brown; wings exceeding the keel; keel 4–5 mm long, rounded about the middle, with a short straight beak.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod sessile, 6–8 mm long, subglobose, slightly compressed laterally, densely covered with long brown spreading hairs over a felty tomentum, rather thick-walled, (1)2–4-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 3–3.8 mm long, oblique-cordiform, smooth, pale ochre-brown.