Crotalaria miranda Milne-Redh.

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual, up to 7 dm. tall, with laxly inserted ascending branches.

Morphology Stem

Stem obscurely ribbed, appressed puberulous with colourless hairs having a brown point of attachment a little above the base.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple; blade linear-lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, up to 45–90 mm. long, 3–11 mm. wide, subacute to rounded at the apex, glabrous or more generally appressed puberulous above, thinly appressed puberulous with submedifixed hairs beneath; petiole 1–3 mm. long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules linear-subulate, 1–2 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes lax, up to 7–20 cm. long, ± (4–)8–20(–26)-flowered; bracts linear, 1–4 mm. long; bracteoles adnate to the calyx, linear, 1–2·5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 5–7 mm. long, protracted on the lower side, rather closely appressed puberulous with hairs like those of the stem; upper lobes narrowly attenuate triangular, considerably longer than the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard obovate, yellow, veined red or orange, puberulous apically outside; wings shorter than the keel; keel bent at right-angles in the lower third, with a long straight twisted beak, 11–13 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod oblong-clavate, narrowed basally into 2–4 mm. long stipe, ± 22–28 mm. long, 6 mm. across, appressed puberulous, ± 22–26-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds oblique-cordiform, up to 2·5 mm. long, smooth, greyish or brownish-green.

Habitat

Brachystegia woodland, sometimes on stony hillsides; 1350–1700 m.

Distribution

T4 T5 T7

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual, erect to 70 cm, laxly branched; branches strigulose with colourless hairs having a brown point of attachment a little above the base.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple; blade 4–9 × 0.3–1 cm, linear-lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, thinly strigulose with submedifixed hairs beneath and usually also above; petiole 1–3 mm long; stipules 1–2 mm long, linear-subulate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes laxly (4)8–20(26)-flowered; bracts 1–4 mm long, linear to linear-lanceolate, bracteoles usually adnate to the calyx, 1–2.5 mm long, linear.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 5–7 mm long, strigulose; upper lobes narrowly attenuate-triangular, ± twice as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard obovate, yellow, lined reddish, puberulous apically outside; wings shorter than the keel; keel 1.1–1.3 cm long, angular with a long straight twisted beak.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 2.2–2.8 × 0.5–0.6 cm, oblong-clavate, narrowed to the 2–4 mm long stipe, strigulose, c. 20–26-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 2–2.5 mm long, oblique-cordiform, smooth, greyish or brownish-green.

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: confident