Crotalaria melanocalyx Polhill

First published in Kew Bull. 22: 329 (1968)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect annual, up to 4 dm. tall, developing a number of slender curved ascending branches from near the base and ultimately many short practically leafless flowering branches at the top.
Morphology Stem
Stem slender, appressed pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves mostly 3-foliolate, but with the uppermost often 1-foliolate; leaflets linear-oblanceolate to oblanceolate-oblong, up to 8–15 mm. long, 1·5–4 mm. wide, mostly rounded or truncate at the apex, glabrous above, appressed pubescent beneath; petiole up to 3–4 mm. long.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes sessile or shortly pedunculate, subumbelliform, up to 1–2 cm. long, ± 10–20-flowered; bracts linear, 1·5–2 mm. long, shorter than the pedicel; bracteoles inserted on the pedicel, minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 3·5–4 mm. long, with the tube protracted on the lower side, densely appressed pubescent with dark brown hairs drying black; upper lobes narrowly attenuate-triangular, longer than the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard obovate, yellow, veined dark green and rather densely dark brown pubescent outside; wings ± as long as the keel; keel bent at right-angles in the lower third, with a narrow twisted beak, slightly incurved at the tip, 7–8 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod subsessile, ovoid-globose, ± 4–5 mm. long, 3 mm. across, pubescent with dark appressed hairs, 2-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Mature seeds unknown.
Habitat
Seasonally flooded valley grassland; 1500 m.
Distribution
known only from the type-gathering T4
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

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

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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