Crotalaria natalitia Meisn.

First published in London J. Bot. 2: 67 (1843)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & S. Africa, SW. Arabian Peninsula. It is a perennial, subshrub or shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Woody herb or small shrub, 1–2.6 m tall, with 1–several thin stems and rather strictly ascending pubescent branches mostly towards the top, rarely somewhat procumbent in burned and heavily grazed places.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves mostly in tufts, 3-foliolate; leaflets mostly (1.5)2–4.5 × 0.4–1.5 cm, linear-oblanceolate to oblanceolate-elliptic, appressed pubescent beneath; petioles mostly a little shorter than leaflets; stipules (3)5–15 × 1–4 mm, shortly stalked, linear-lanceolate to oblong-falcate, very unequal-sided.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes terminal, up to 10–22 cm long, with few–many fairly closely to rather laxly arranged flowers; bracts 2.5–6 mm long, linear to elliptic-caudate, caducous; pedicels rather stiffly erect.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 6–9(10) mm long; upper lobes narrowly attenuate-triangular, as long as to a little longer than the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard subcircular, yellow, sometimes reddish-brown tinged outside, fading orange-red, glabrous outside; wings broad, exceeding the keel; keel 11–14 mm long, abruptly rounded about the middle, with a rather short slightly incurved beak, lanate towards the upper margin.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod 3.4–4(4.5) × 1.1–1.5 cm, broadly cylindrical, abruptly contracted to a 4–5 mm long stipe, glabrous, often mottled dark green to blue-black before ripening, 25–40-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 3.5–4 mm long, oblong-reniform, with a small aril, granulate or smooth, dark brown.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Woody herb or small shrub, 1–2·6 m. tall, with 1–several thin stems and rather strictly ascending branches mostly towards the top, rarely somewhat procumbent in burnt or heavily grazed areas.
Morphology Branches
Branches ribbed, usually rather densely appressed or slightly spreading pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually mostly crowded on abbreviated lateral shoots, 3–foliolate; leaflets linear-oblanceolate, oblanceolate to oblanceolate-elliptic, up to 20–42 mm. long, 4–12 mm. wide, glabrous above, appressed pubescent beneath; petiole up to 10–30 mm. long.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules shortly stalked, lanceolate to oblong-falcate, acuminate, up to 5–15 mm. long, 1–4 mm. wide, very unequal-sided.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes up to 10–22 cm. long, with few to many laxly or rather densely arranged flowers towards the top; bracts linear to acuminately elliptic-caudate, 2·5–6 mm. long, early caducous; bracteoles inserted on the stiffly ascending pedicel, filiform, up to 2 mm. long, caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 6–9(–10) mm. long, glabrous or appressed pubescent; upper lobes narrowly attenuate-triangular, subequal to a little longer than the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard suborbicular, yellow, sometimes tinged red-brown or sepia outside, fading reddish-orange, glabrous outside; wings broadly oblong, longer than the keel; keel abruptly rounded about the middle, with a slightly incurved untwisted beak, 11–14 mm. long, conspicuously white lanate-pubescent on the lateral surfaces towards the upper margin.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod broadly cylindrical, abruptly contracted into the 4–5 mm. long stipe, 35–40(–45) mm. long, 11–13 mm. across, glabrous, usually mottled dark-green to blue-black, 25–40-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds oblong-reniform, 3·5–4 mm. long, with a small white aril much shorter than the hilar sinus, minutely granulate or smooth, dark brown.
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Somalia-Masai grasslands, Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone; grassland., Tongaland-Pondoland regional transition zone - grassland., Lake Victoria regional transition zone; grasslands, Zambezian grassland
Morphology General Habit
Annual, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub
[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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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