Crotalaria lachnocarpoides Engl.

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

Morphology General Habit

Bushy slightly woody herb or small shrub, up to 0.5–2(2.7) m tall, very densely covered with mostly rather long fine spreading hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves shortly petiolate, 3-foliolate; leaflets mostly 3.5–7 × 1–2.5 cm, oblanceolate-oblong or narrowly oblong-elliptic, rounded to truncate and apiculate, densely pilose on both surfaces, rather felty; stipules 5–8 mm long, linear.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes lax to dense, mostly 4–12-flowered; bracts up to 8–11 mm long, linear to attenuate-lanceolate; bracteoles inserted on the pedicel, similar.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 1–1.5 cm long, tomentose; lobes ± narrowly attenuate-triangular, 2–3 times as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard subcircular, yellow, often tinged reddish-brown outside, fading orange-red, pubescent at least medially and apically outside; wings exceeding the keel; keel semicircular, shortly and bluntly beaked, 1.1–1.5(1.8) cm long, pubescent in a thin band towards the lower margin.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod subsessile, 2.5–3.2 × 1.2–1.5 cm, shortly and broadly cylindrical, with a dense shaggy tomentum, (12)20–26-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 3.5–4 mm long, obliquely oblong-cordiform, minutely granulate, usually shiny, pale yellow or ochre.

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial woody herb or shrub, up to 5–20(–27) dm. tall, usually much branched and bushy above.

Morphology Stem

Stem terete, silky tomentose.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves shortly petiolate, 3-foliolate; leaflets oblanceolate-oblong or narrowly oblong-elliptic, more rarely elliptic-obovate, up to 35–70 mm. long, 12–25 mm. wide, densely grey silky pilose on both surfaces; petiole up to 13 mm. long, usually much less.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules filiform, 5–8 mm. long, persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes lax or dense, up to 10 cm. long in fruit, mostly 6–12-flowered; bracts linear to attenuate-lanceolate, up to 8–11 mm. long, persistent; bracteoles inserted on the pedicel, filiform, up to 6–9 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 10–15 mm. long, tomentose with appressed or slightly spreading hairs; lobes usually narrowly attenuate-triangular, 2–3 times as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard suborbicular, yellow, usually reddish-brown tinged outside, fading orange-red, pubescent at least medially and apically outside; wings longer than the keel; keel semiorbicular, with a short slightly incurved or straight blunt untwisted beak, 11–15(–18) mm. long, with a band of hairs towards the lower margin.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod subsessile, broadly and shortly cylindrical, up to 25–30 mm. long, 12–13 mm. across, densely long spreading tomentose, (12–)20–26-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds oblong-reniform, 3·5–4 mm. long, minutely granulate, usually shiny, pale yellow or ochre.

Habitat

Grassland, often with scattered trees or shrubs, or at forest margins and in upland evergreen bushland; 1200–2650 m.

Distribution

K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 Congo, Rwanda and Sudan to Ethiopia

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Afromontane grassland, Afromontane(upland) bushland and thicket.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub