Crotalaria hyssopifolia Klotzsch

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual or short-lived perennial 10–70 cm tall, developing numerous ascending or spreading branches; stem slender, appressed puberulous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets 8–25 × 2–8(12) mm, linear-oblanceolate to oblong-oblanceolate or obovate, rounded, truncate or emarginate at the apex, appressed pubescent beneath; petiole 2–12(18) mm long; stipules 0.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes 2–11(20) cm long, subdensely to sublaxly (10)20–40-flowered, sometimes with a few other flowers in the axils below; bracts 0.7–1.5 mm long, linear to shortly linear-lanceolate; pedicel 1.5–4 mm long, with minute bracteoles.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2–3.5 mm long, appressed pubescent; upper lobes narrowly triangular, 2–3 times as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard elliptic-obovate, yellow, reddish lined and pubescent outside; wings a little shorter than the keel; keel 3.5–5 mm long, angular, with a narrow twisted beak slightly incurved at the tip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod sessile, 3–4(4.5) mm long, ovoid-globose, appressed pubescent, 1–2-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1.5–2 mm long, subcordiform, smooth, with a generally prominent aril.

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual or short-lived perennial with many ascending or spreading branches, up to 7 dm. tall, often much less.

Morphology Stem

Stem slender, sometimes finely ribbed, appressed pubescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets obcuneiform to oblanceolate-oblong or obovate, up to 14–22 mm. long, 6–8(–12) mm. wide, often smaller, rounded, truncate or slightly emarginate at the apex, glabrous or practically so above, appressed pubescent beneath; petiole up to 4–12(–18) mm. long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules absent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes subsessile to shortly pedunculate, up to 11 cm. long, with numerous usually fairly closely arranged or crowded flowers and sometimes others in the axils below; bracts linear, up to 1·5 mm. long; bracteoles inserted on the pedicel, inconspicuous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2–3·5 mm. long, with the tube protracted on the lower side, appressed pubescent; upper lobes narrowly attenuate-triangular, ± 2–3 times as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard obovate-elliptic, yellow, reddish veined and pubescent outside; wings a little shorter than the keel; keel bent at right-angles in the lower third, with a narrow practically straight twisted beak, 3·5–5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod sessile, subglobose-ovoid, 3–4(–4·5) mm. long, appressed pubescent, 1–2-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds subcordiform, up to 2 mm. long, usually with a prominent aril, smooth, brownish.

Habitat

Deciduous woodland, grassland, also persisting on roadsides, fallow fields and less commonly on swampy ground and clay soils; 10–1350(–2100) m.

Distribution

Sudan and Congo west to Nigeria and Senegal K3 K5 K7 P T3 T4 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2 U3 U4

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Lake Victoria regional mosaic; wooded grassland, Zambezian grassland, Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transitional zone; wooded grassland, Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone; grassland., Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone ; woodland.

Morphology General Habit

Annual, Not climbing, Herb

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

Morphology General Habit

An erect herb, branched above and sometimes below, 1–2 ft. high

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers yellow.