Crotalaria chirindae Baker f.

First published in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 42: 377 (1914)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Tanzania to S. Tropical Africa. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect, straggling-ascending or decumbent well-branched herb, up to 1–1.5 m tall; branches appressed puberulous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves all 3-foliolate or sometimes uppermost 1-foliolate; leaflets mostly 5–15 × 0.8–4 cm, usually narrowly oblong-lanceolate above to elliptic lower down, sometimes all elliptic, often acuminate, puberulous beneath; petiole shorter than the leaflets; stipules mostly 2–4 mm long, subulate or filiform, sometimes caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes 10–23(40) cm long, rather densely many-flowered; bracts mostly 4–8 mm long, subulate-caudate; bracteoles at the base of the calyx, 4–9 mm long, linear-caudate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 3.5–4.5 mm long, becoming basally truncate and deflexed against the pedicel, appressed pubescent; lobes narrowly acuminate-triangular, at least as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard broadly elliptic, yellow, veined purple or reddish-brown; wings markedly shorter than the keel; keel 8–10 mm long, rounded about the middle, with a narrow incurved sharp beak.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod shortly stipitate, 2.4–3 × 0.6–0.7 cm, narrowly cylindrical, densely pubescent, 20–26-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2.5–3 mm long, oblique-cordiform, smooth, yellow to orange.
[FZ]

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
Perennial, erect or ascending in other vegetation and up to 1·5 m. tall, or low and decumbent, much branched.
Morphology Stem
Stem with short appressed hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets narrowly oblong-lanceolate to elliptic lower down, often acuminate, up to 80–150 mm. long, 9–38 mm. wide, glabrous above, appressed puberulous beneath; petiole ± 18–40 mm. long.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules subulate or filiform, up to 2–4 mm. long, caducous or rather persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes terminal and leaf-opposed, long-pedunculate, up to 14–23(–40) cm. long, with many flowers crowded at least towards the top; bracts subulate-caudate, expanded at the base, 3–8 mm. long; bracteoles inserted at the base of the calyx, linear-caudate, 3–9 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx becoming basally truncate and deflexed against the pedicel, 3·5–4 mm. long, appressed pubescent; lobes narrowly acuminate-triangular, ± as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard broadly elliptic, yellow, veined purple or reddish-brown and glabrous outside; wings markedly shorter than the keel; keel rounded about the middle, with a narrow incurved untwisted beak, 8–10 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod shortly stipitate, cylindrical, ± 24–30 mm. long, 6–7 mm. across, densely pubescent, ± 20–26-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Mature seeds unknown.
Habitat
Margins of upland rain-forest, upland grassland; 1230–1800 m.
Distribution
T7 T8
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Afromontane(upland) bushland and thicket., Afromontane grassland
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

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