Crotalaria barkae Schweinf.

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual or short-lived perennial with erect leading shoot to 0.5(1) m tall and long decumbent lower branches, hirsute with mostly spreading hairs in the Flora Zambesiaca area.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets 1.5–7 × 0.5–2 cm, lanceolate to elliptic, sparsely pilose at least beneath; petioles shorter to longer than leaflets; stipules 2–11 mm long, filiform to linear-lanceolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes long-pedunculate, laxly 2–6-flowered; bracts 2–10 mm long, subulate to lanceolate; bracteoles curved-ascending from upper part of the pedicel, 2.5–9 mm long, obliquely lanceolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx accrescent, (9)10–20 mm long; upper lobes attenuately triangular-lanceolate to oblong-cordate, mostly 3–4 times as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard obovate to subcircular, medially and apically pubescent outside; wings a little shorter than keel; keel (9)10–17 mm long, angled in lower half, with a long slightly incurved beak, lanate on upper margin proximal to the beak.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod (1.5)1.8–3.5 cm long, clavate-ellipsoid, shortly stipitate, glabrous to thinly pilose (often only on upper side).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 2–2.5 mm long, oblique-cordiform, usually obscurely rugulose, brown.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian grassland, Sudanian grasslands, Kalahari-Highveld regional transition zone; grassland., Sahel regional transition zone; grassland

Morphology General Habit

Annual, Not climbing, Herb

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual or short-lived perennial, with a leading shoot up to 5(–10) dm. tall, much branched, with the lower branches long and prostrate or decumbent.

Morphology Stem

Stem pilose with subappressed or spreading hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets lanceolate, elliptic-lanceolate or elliptic, up to 15–70 mm. long, 5–20 mm. wide, with those of the leading shoot usually narrower, glabrous to sparsely pilose above, sparsely pilose beneath; petiole up to 15–55 mm. long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules filiform to linear-lanceolate, 2–11 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes lax, up to 2·5–14 cm. long, 2–6-flowered; bracts subulate to lanceolate or oblong-oblanceolate, 2–10 mm. long; bracteoles curved-ascending from the upper part of the pedicel, obliquely lanceolate, 2·5–9 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx accrescent, (9–)10–20 mm. long; upper lobes attenuately triangular-lanceolate to oblong-cordate, ± 3–4 times as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard obovate or suborbicular, longer than the calyx, white to greenish-white or bright yellow, sometimes marked reddish-purple, pubescent medially and apically outside; wings shorter to nearly as long as the keel; keel bent at right-angles in the lower half, with a long slightly incurved untwisted beak, (9–) 10–17 mm. long, conspicuously lanate along the upper margin proximal to the beak.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod shortly stipitate, clavate-ellipsoid, (15–) 18–35 mm. long, 8–16 mm. across, glabrous to thinly pilose (sometimes only on the upper side), up to 30–80-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds oblique-cordiform, 2–2·5 mm. long, usually obscurely rugulose, with the raised areas concentric towards the margin, brown.

Papilionaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit

A herb with prostrate branches, 1–2 ft. long

Morphology General Indumentum

Thinly hairy

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers yellow

Ecology

In dry rocky places.

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual or short-lived perennial, up to 0.5(–1) m tall; stems pilose

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, lanceolate to elliptic, up to 15–70 x 5–20 mm, sparsely pilose at least beneath; petiole up to 15–55 mm long

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules 2–11 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx accrescent, (9–)10–20 mm long; upper lobes attenuate-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard longer than calyx, yellow to white, sometimes purplish marked, pubescent medially and apically outside; keel bent at right-angles in the lower half, (9–)10–17 mm long, with a long slightly incurved untwisted beak

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod (15–)18–35 x 8–16 mm, shortly stipitate, hairy on the upper side or glabrous, up to 30–80-seeded.