Crotalaria becquetii Baker f. ex R.Wilczek

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/179296/1574325

Conservation

LC - least concern

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

Morphology General Habit

Woody herb or shrub, 1.3–3 m tall; branches early glabrescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves estipulate, 3-foliolate; leaflets 5–10 × 1.5–4.8 cm, elliptic-lanceolate to broadly elliptic, acuminate, subglabrous to sparsely pubescent beneath; petiole usually a little shorter than leaflets.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes lax, many-flowered; bracts 2–5 mm long, subulate or filiform; bracteoles small.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx plus funnel-shaped hypanthium 1.4–1.8 cm long, glabrous to thinly puberulous; lobes narrowly attenuate-triangular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard ovate, yellow, finely veined purplish outside; wings a little over half to two-thirds as long as keel; keel 2.5–3.2 cm long, strongly rounded, ± straight along upper margin, with a subtruncate upwardly directed beak.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods with 0.8–1.8 cm long stipe 5.5–9 cm long, oblong-clavate to ellipsoid-clavate, markedly inflated, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds c. 4 mm long, broadly oblique-cordiform, smooth, brown (sometimes darker veined).

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Afromontane bamboo thicket., Afromontane forest, Afromontane(upland) bushland and thicket.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub

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

Morphology General Habit

Much branched shrub or robust woody herb, up to 1·3–3 m. tall.

Morphology Branches

Branches thinly pubescent at the tips, otherwise glabrous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets elliptic-lanceolate to broadly elliptic, up to 5–9·8 cm. long, 1·5–4·3 cm. wide, slightly acuminate, acute, membranous, rather paler beneath with agenerally rather conspicuous fine reticulate venation, subglabrous to sparsely pubescent; petiole up to 2–6(–9·5) cm. long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules absent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes lax, up to 8–30 cm. long; bracts subulate or filiform, 2–5 mm. long, rather persistent; bracteoles inserted on the pedicel, filiform, up to 1·5(–3) mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 14–18 mm. long, basally narrowed into a prominent receptacle, glabrous to thinly appressed puberulous; upper lobes free, narrowly attenuate triangular, ± twice as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard ovate, yellow, finely veined purple or brown and glabrous to medially pubescent outside; wings a little more than half to two-thirds as long as the keel; keel strongly rounded, with a well developed straight truncate upwardly directed untwisted beak, 25–32 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod stipitate, oblong-clavate to ellipsoid-clavate, 5·5–9 cm. long, 1–1·8 cm. across, glabrous, many-seeded; stipe 8–18 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds broadly oblique-cordiform, ±4 mm. long, smooth, brown with a fine darker reticulate venation.