Crotalaria malindiensis Polhill

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual or short-lived perennial, with a shortly erect leading shoot and long procumbent lower branches, subsequently developing several other radiating prostrate to slightly ascending stems.

Morphology Stem

Stems slender, laxly branched, up to 5–8·5 dm. long, sparsely pilose.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate; leafletsvariable in shape, mostly oblanceolate-elliptic to obovate, up to 14–30 mm. long, 5–16 mm. wide, but sometimes with others particularly on the leading shoot much longer and proportionally narrower, linear-lanceolate, up to 36–65 mm. long, 4–8 mm. wide, glabrous above, thinly appressed pilose beneath; petiole ± 13–35 mm. long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules subulate to filiform, 2–5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes long and slenderly pedunculate, up to 12–45 cm. long, with few to many flowers widely spaced on the very slender rhachis; bracts linear-lanceolate, 1–1·5 mm. long; bracteoles inserted at the base of the calyx, subulate, ± 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 3–4 mm. long, sparsely pilose; upper lobes narrowly attenuate-triangular, a little longer than the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard suborbicular, yellow veined reddish-brown, puberulous along the midvein outside or glabrous; wings a little longer than the keel; keel rounded about the middle, with a short untwisted beak, 4–5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod sessile, sub-globose-ellipsoid, 8–9·5 mm. long, 6–8 mm. across, spreading pubescent, ± 14–20-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds oblique-cordiform, ± 2 mm. long, slightly rugulose, orange-brown.

Habitat

Open grassy places in Brachystegia woodland and Acacia bushland, grassland and dunes near seashore; up to ± 50 m.

Distribution

K7 not known elsewhere

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual or short-lived perennial, with prostrate radiating pilose branches up to at least 50 cm long

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, variable in shape, mostly oblanceolate-elliptic to obovate, up to 1.4–3 x 0.5–1.5 cm, but sometimes linear-lanceolate and up to 4–6.5 x 0.4–0.6 cm, appressed pilose beneath; petiole usually ± as long as or longer than the leaflets

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules 2–5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes 5–45 cm long, long-pedunculate, very lax

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 3–4 mm long, pilose

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard yellow with purplish veins, glabrous or medially puberulous outside; keel rounded, 4–8 mm long, with a short untwisted beak

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 8–9.5 x 6–8 mm, pubescent with spreading hairs, ± 14–20-seeded.

Distribution

S1, 2; coast of Kenya

Ecology

Altitude range 70–230 m.

Note

The Somali plants have larger flowers (keel 5.5–8 mm long) compared to the Kenyan ones (keel 4–5 mm long), and there seems to be a trend towards increased flower size towards the north.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Insufficiently known

Ecology

Africa: Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone; grassland.

Morphology General Habit

Annual, Not climbing, Herb

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/179515/1581110

Conservation

VU - vulnerable