Crotalaria capensis Jacq.

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

Morphology General Habit

Bushy shrub, 1–3 m tall, usually with rather persistently tomentose branches, but sometimes glabrescent or even glabrous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets (1.5)3–7 × (1)1.5–3 cm, elliptic to obovate, pointed to rounded at the apex, glabrous to densely pubescent (particularly beneath); petioles mostly shorter than leaflets; stipules usually leaf-like, 0.8–2(3) cm long, with 1–4 mm long stalk and obovate blade, sometimes caducous or lacking.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes with few to many fairly closely arranged flowers; bracts (1.5)3.5–7.5(10) mm long, linear-lanceolate; bracteoles filiform, smaller.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx with funnel-shaped hypanthium (8)10–16(18) mm long, glabrous to thinly pubescent; lobes attenuate-triangular, longer than the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard ovate or elliptic, yellow, marked and later flushed with red, glabrous or medially pubescent outside; wings three quarters to nearly as long as the keel; keel (1.5)2–2.4 cm long, rounded about the middle, with a rather short blunt beak.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod including (5)12–16 mm long stipe c. 4.5–6.8 cm long, oblong-clavate, shortly appressed-pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 4–4.5 mm long, oblique-cordiform, practically smooth, brown.

Use

Environmental