Crotalaria lasiocarpa Polhill

First published in Kew Bull. 22: 236 (1968)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Tanzania to N. Zambia. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual, with short erect stem to 25 cm or so tall and long slender pilose radiating branches prostrate or somewhat ascending in other vegetation.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets mostly 1.5–5 × 0.7–2.5 cm, elliptic to obovate, but those of the leading shoot sometimes longer and relatively narrow, appressed pilose beneath; petiole 8–24 mm long; stipules 1.5–5 mm long, filiform to subulate-caudate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes mostly leaf-opposed, long-pedunculate, up to 3–5.5 cm long, with 2–5 flowers towards the top of the very slender axis; bracts 1–3 mm long, linear; bracteoles at the base of the calyx, small.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 3–4.5 mm long, pilose; lobes narrow, 2–3 times as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard subcircular, pale yellow, veined maroon or mauve, glabrous outside; wings ± as long as the keel; keel 5–6 mm long, angled in the lower half, with a relatively long narrow slightly recurved beak.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod subsessile, (1)1.2–1.3 cm long, ellipsoid-oblong, rarely smaller and subglobose, densely covered with fine spreading hairs, (10)14–16-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2–2.5 mm long, oblique-cordiform, smooth, dull 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: low confidence
[AERP]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian grassland
Morphology General Habit
Annual, Not climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual, with a short erect leading shoot up to 2·5 dm. tall and long slender pilose radiating branches, prostrate or somewhat ascending in other vegetation.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets elliptic to obovate, up to 25–48 mm. long and 11–23 mm. wide, or those of the leading shoot sometimes rather narrower and proportionally longer, glabrous above, appressed pilose beneath; petiole up to 8–24 mm. long.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules filiform or caudate-subulate, up to 3–5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes long-pedunculate, up to 3–5·5 cm. long, with 2–5 flowers towards the top of the very slender axis; bracts filiform or linear, 1–3 mm. long; bracteoles inserted at the base of the calyx, filiform, up to 1·5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx a little shorter than the keel, 3–4·5 mm. long, pilose; lobes narrow, 2–3 times as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard suborbicular, pale yellow, veined maroon or mauve, glabrous outside; wings ± as long as the keel; keel bent at right-angles in the lower half, with a relatively long narrow slightly recurved untwisted beak, 5–6 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod sessile, ellipsoid-cylindrical, (10–)12–13 mm. long, 6–7 mm. across, rarely subglobose and ± 7 mm. in diameter, spreading tomentose, ± (10–)14–16-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds oblique-cordiform, 2–2·5 mm. long, smooth, dull orange.
Habitat
Upland grassland, particularly common along roadsides, on old cultivated land, quarries and other waste places; occasionally extending down into open places in deciduous woodland; 1600–2100 m.
Distribution
T4 T7
[FTEA]

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