Crotalaria alexandri Baker f.

First published in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 42: 299 (1914)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Ethiopia to S. Tropical Africa. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect annual 5–40 cm tall, developing ascending branches from near the base; stem slender, densely ± spreading pilose.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets 5–15 × 1–5 mm, linear-oblanceolate to oblong-oblanceolate, acute to rounded and apiculate, almost always pilose on both surfaces; petiole 3–6 mm long; stipules 0.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes up to 1(3) cm long, with most of the flowers clustered in many of the axils below; bracts 2–4 mm long, linear; bracteoles 0.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 2.5–5 mm long, densely hairy; lobes narrowly triangular, 2–2.5 times as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard oblong-obovate, pale yellow, marked red at base inside, reddish veined and densely pubescent outside; wings a little shorter than the keel; keel 4.5–6 mm long, angular, with a narrow twisted beak.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod sessile, 4–5 × 3–3.5 mm, shortly oblong-ellipsoid, pilose, 7–12-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 1–1.5 mm across.
[FZ]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian anthropic landscapes., Somalia-Masai anthropic landscapes, Lake Victoria regional mosaic; anthropic landscapes., Somalia-Masai woodland, Lake Victoria regional transition zone; woodland., Zambezian woodland
Morphology General Habit
Annual, Not climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect annual, up to 1–4 dm. tall, developing numerous ascending branches mostly from near the base.
Morphology Stem
Stem slender, densely rather spreading pilose.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets linear-oblanceolate to oblanceolate-oblong, up to 8–15 mm. long, 1–5 mm. wide, acute to rounded and apiculate, pilose on both surfaces; petiole up to 4–6 mm. long.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes sessile, dense, less than 1 cm. long, with most of the flowers clustered in many of the axils below; bracts linear, 2–4 mm. long, d= as long as the pedicel; bracteoles not apparent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 3–5 mm. long, with the tube slightly protracted on the lower side, usually rather densely pilose; upper lobes narrowly attenuate-triangular, ± twice as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard obovate-oblong, pale yellow, marked red at the base inside, reddish veined and rather densely pubescent outside; wings a little shorter than the keel; keel bent at right-angles in the lower third, with a narrow straight twisted beak, 4·5–6 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod sessile, shortly oblong-ellipsoid, 4–5 mm. long, pilose, 7–10-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds oblique-cordiform, ± 1 mm. long, without a prominent aril, smooth, brown.
Habitat
Brachystegia woodland, deciduous bushland and secondary scrub, occasionally extended into upland grassland, also persisting on roadsides and cultivated ground; 500–1950 (–2400) m.
Distribution
K2 K4 K5 T1 T2 T4 T5 T7 T8 U1 U2
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    • International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0