Crotalaria podocarpa DC.

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual with an erect stem to 70 cm tall and long spreading or decumbent lower branches, with generally spreading hears.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets variable, mostly 1.5–5(8) × 0.3–1.6(2.5) cm, linear or oblong-lanceolate to obovate-elliptic, usually thinly hairy at least beneath; petioles mostly shorter than the leaflets; stipules 5–17 × 3–7 mm, shortly stalked, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate-falcate, acuminate, usually truncate or rounded at the base, very unequal-sided.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes (3)6–14 cm long, long-pedunculate, laxly 2–5(8)-flowered; bracts up to 3.5 mm long, filiform and caducous, or lacking; pedicels 2.5–6 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 7–9 mm long, hairy or subglabrous; lobes triangular-subulate, longer than the tube, ultimately reflexed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard ovate, clear yellow, sometimes slightly reddish tinged, glabrous outside; wings a little shorter than the keel; keel 1.2–1.7 cm long, angled in the lower half, with a straight beak, lanate towards the upper edge (particularly on the beak).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 2–3 × 0.9–1.4 cm, cylindrical, often rather broadly so and somewhat inflated when young, abruptly contracted to the slender 2.5–5 mm long stipe, glabrous, 6–12-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 4.5–6 mm in diameter, subcircular-reniform, compressed with a broad raised rim, irregularly tuberculate, orange or pale yellow.

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual, with long spreading or decumbent branches from the base, up to 7 dm. tall, much branched.

Morphology Stem

Stem terete, sparsely spreading pilose or (outside East Africa) glabrous to appressed pubescent with fine hairs swollen at the base.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets variable, linear or oblong-lanceolate to obovate-elliptic, up to 18–50(–78) mm. long, 3–16(–24) mm. wide, usually thinly hairy at least beneath; petiole 20–45 mm. long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules very shortly stalked, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate-falcate, 5–17 mm. long, 3–7 mm. wide, acuminate, truncate or rounded at the base, very unequal-sided.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes long-pedunculate, lax, up to (3–)6–14 cm. long, ±2–5(–8)-flowered; bracts filiform, 2–4 mm. long, caducous; bracteoles inserted on the receptacle or pedicel, filiform, up to 1·5 mm. long, caducous, or absent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 7–9 mm. long, subglabrous, sparsely hirsute or appressed pubescent; upper and lateral lobes rather persistently coherent at the tips, triangular-subulate, longer than the tube, ultimately reflexed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard ovate, clear yellow, sometimes slightly reddish tinged, glabrous outside; wings a little shorter than the keel; keel bent at right-angles in the lower half, with a long almost straight untwisted projecting beak, 12–17 mm. long, conspicuously white lanate-pubescent along the upper margin.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod broadly or turgidly cylindrical, abruptly contracted into the slender 2·5–5 mm. long stipe, 20–30 mm. long, 9–14 mm. across, glabrous, pale with a dark coloured upper suture, 6–12-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds suborbicular-reniform, laterally compressed with a broad slightly raised rim, 4·5–6 mm. in diameter, with a very small aril, irregularly tuberculate, orange or pale yellow.

Habitat

Open generally sandy places in deciduous woodland and bushland, wooded grassland, also persisting on roadsides and cultivated ground; 850–1400 m.

Distribution

K1 K2 T2 T4 T5 T7 U1 Senegal, Mali, Sudan to Ethiopia and Eritrea, also Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Rhodesia to the Cape Province of South Africa, South West Africa and Angola

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Sahel regional transition zone; grassland, Zambezian grassland, Kalahari-Highveld regional transition zone; grassland.

Morphology General Habit

Annual, Not climbing, Herb

Papilionaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit

An erect herb, 1–2 ft. high

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers pale yellow.