Crotalaria nyikensis Baker

First published in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1897: 250 (1897)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Tanzania to N. Zambia. It is an annual or subshrub 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 or short-lived perennial, up to 6–13 dm. tall, ultimately with many ascending branches.
Morphology Stem
Stem densely covered with mostly slightly spreading hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets linear-oblanceolate to oblan-ceolate-oblong, up to 12–20 mm. long and 2–7 mm. wide, obtuse to rounded at the apex, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs and glabrescent above, rather densely appressed pilose beneath; petiole ± 5–11 mm. long.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences shortly pedunculate, usually very dense heads or short racemes,± 3–5 cm. long; bracts linear, 2–3 mm. long, ± as long as the pedicel; bracteoles inserted near the top of the pedicel, filiform, up to 1·5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 4–5 mm. long, with the tube slightly protracted on the lower side, very densely spreading pilose; upper lobes narrowly attenuate-triangular, ± twice as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard elliptic, yellow, veined reddish-brown and densely hairy outside; wings shorter than the keel; keel bent at right-angles in the lower third, with a very long narrow twisted beak, slightly incurved at the tip, 7·5–8·5(–9) mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod sessile, ovoid-ellipsoid, somewhat pointed, up to 5–6 mm. long, 4 mm. across, pilose, 1–2-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Mature seeds unknown.
Habitat
Upland grassland; 1350 m.
Distribution
T7
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Afromontane grassland, Zambezian woodland
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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect, ultimately bushy annual or short-lived perennial, 50–130 cm tall; branches densely covered with longish mostly spreading hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets mostly 8–20 × 2–7 mm, linear-oblanceolate to oblanceolate-oblong, the lowermost sometimes oblong-obovate, glabrous or nearly so above, rather densely appressed pilose beneath; petiole 3–11 mm long; stipules 0.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in sessile to shortly pedunculate dense heads or short racemes 2–5 cm long, rarely in longer dense racemes; bracts (1)2–3 mm long, linear-lanceolate, usually ± as long as the pedicel; bracteoles near top of the pedicel, 1–1.5 mm long, setaceous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 4–5 mm long, densely often brownish villous; upper lobes attenuate-triangular, ± twice as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard elliptic-obovate, yellow, veined reddish-brown and densely hairy outside; wings a little shorter than the keel; keel (7)7.5–8.5(9) mm long, angular, with a narrow twisted beak, slightly incurved at the tip.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods sessile, 4.5–6 × 3–4 mm, ovoid-ellipsoid, somewhat pointed, pilose, 1–2-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2 mm long, oblique-cordiform, smooth, with a conspicuous aril.
[FZ]

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