Crotalaria ballyi Polhill

First published in Kew Bull. 22: 299 (1968)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central Somalia, N. & Central Kenya. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial, with numerous well-branched prostrate stems, up to 2·5 dm. long.
Morphology Stem
Stems slender, 4-angled, minutely puberulous, glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets oblanceolate to obovate, up to 12 mm. long and 5 mm. wide, glabrous above, with a few small scattered bristly hairs beneath; petiole slender, up to 10 mm. long.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules foliaceous, obliquely ovate-oblong, cordate, 4–6 mm. long, 3–4 mm. wide, subglabrous, persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes lax, up to 8 cm. long, ± 8–12-flowered; bracts cordate, ± 3 mm. long; bracteoles absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx ± 2 mm. long, glabrous; lobes subtriangular, acuminate, longer than the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard suborbicular, yellow, glabrous outside; wings obovate-oblong, longer than the keel; keel shortly rounded, with practically no beak, ± 2·5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod sessile, shortly subcylindrical, 7–8 mm. long, 3·5 mm. across, thinly appressed puberulous, ± 10-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Mature seeds unknown.
Habitat
Deciduous bushland; 250–950 m.
Distribution
not known elsewhere K1 K4
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Insufficiently known
Ecology
Africa: Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Perennial with slender minutely puberulous 4-angled ± prostrate stems
Morphology Leaves Leaflets
Leaflets 3, oblanceolate to obovate, 8–20 x 3–7 mm, with a few scattered hairs beneath; petiole up to 10 mm long
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules and bracts ovate-oblong, cordate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes lax, ± 8–12-flowered
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx ± 2 mm long, glabrous; lobes longer than the tube
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard yellow, glabrous outside; wings longer than the keel; keel shortly rounded, ± 2.5 mm long, with practically no beak
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod shortly subcylindrical, 7–8 x 3.5–4 mm, thinly appressed puberulous, ± 10-seeded.
Distribution
C1; Kenya
Ecology
Altitude c. 275 m.
Note
First record for Somalia.
[FSOM]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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