Crotalaria laburnifolia L.

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect scarcely woody bushy herb, 0.6–2 m tall, with glabrous or thinly pubescent branches.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate, estipulate; leaflets variable, 1–10.5 × 0.5–5.5 cm, narrowly oblong to elliptic or elliptic-obovate, bluntly pointed to rounded or retuse at apex, glabrous or pubescent; petiole usually longer than leaflets.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes lax, usually many-flowered; bracts up to 4 mm long, linear or subulate; bracteoles small.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx plus funnel-shaped hypanthium 1.2–1.7 cm long, glabrous to sparsely puberulous; lobes attenuate-triangular, longer than the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard ovate, yellow, often marked red-brown outside; wings little over half to three quarters length of keel; keel 2–3 cm long, strongly rounded, ± straight along upper margin, abruptly contracted into a subtruncate upwardly directed beak, often flecked or flushed maroon.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod including the 1.7–9.5 cm long stipe up to 4.5–15 cm long, oblong-clavate to subcylindrical, glabrous, often mottled when young.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 4–5 mm long, oblique-cordiform, granulate, ochre or brown.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Sudanian bushland and thicket, Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket, Zambezian bushland and thicket

Morphology General Habit

Annual/Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub

Vernacular

Birdflower, Muna, Yak-Beringa

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect perennial bushy herb, scarcely woody, up to 6–20 dm. tall.

Morphology Branches

Branches glabrous to thinly appressed puberulous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3—foliolate; leaflets variable, narrowly oblong to elliptic or elliptic-obovate, up to 10–105 mm. long, 4–55 mm. wide, bluntly pointed to rounded or emarginate at the apex, glabrous or puberulous on the lower or both surfaces; petiole constricted at the base, up to 10–125 mm. long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules absent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes lax, up to 3–33(–50) cm. long, with few to generally numerous flowers; bracts subulate, up to 4 mm. long, rather persistent; bracteoles inserted near the middle of the pedicel, filiform, up to 2 mm. long; calyx 12–17 mm. long, basally narrowed into a prominent receptacle, glabrous or sparsely puberulous; upper and lateral lobes on either side often slightly cohering in the young flowers, becoming free (except sometimes at the very tip) in the mature flowers, narrowly triangular, longer than the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard ovate, yellow, often marked red-brown and glabrous outside; wings a little over half to three-fourths as long as the keel; keel strongly rounded, with a well-developed straight truncate upwardly directed untwisted beak, (19–)22–30 mm. long, often flecked or flushed maroon or reddish-brown.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod oblong-clavate to subcylindrical, narrowed or abruptly contracted into the slender 1·7–9·5 cm. long stipe, ± 4·5–15 cm. long, 1–1·3 cm. across, glabrous, often mottled maroon or reddish-brown, ± 16–42-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds oblique-cordiform, 4–5 mm. long, obscurely and sparsely papillose, ochre or brown.

Distribution

eastern Africa from Somali Republic (N.) and Sudan south to the Transvaal and west to the eastern Congo, also Mascarene Is., India and Ceylon to NE. Australia K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Protein Content

31.40% Entire seed/nut. Moisture content not stated (Barclay & Earle, 1974)

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

Morphology General Habit

Bushy herb, up to 0.6–2 m tall; stems glabrous to thinly puberulous

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, narrowly oblong to elliptic or elliptic-obovate, up to 1–10.5 x 0.4–5.5 cm, glabrous, or puberulous on the lower or both surfaces; petiole up to (1–)3–7.5(–20) cm long

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes lax, few- to many-flowered

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 12–17 mm long, glabrous to sparsely puberulous, 5-lobed in mature flowers

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard ovate, yellow, often marked red-brown; keel strongly rounded, (19–)22–30 mm long, with a long straight upwardly directed, untwisted beak

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 4.5–7.5(–15) x 1–1.3 cm, narrowed abruptly into a long stipe, glabrous, often mottled reddish-brown, 16–42-seeded.