Crotalaria polysperma Kotschy

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect well-branched annual, 30–120 cm tall, with branches densely covered usually by both appressed and longer spreading hairs (sometimes all spreading).

Morphology Leaves

Leaves all 3-foliolate; leaflets 3–7 × 1.5–3.5 cm, elliptic, pointed, pilose at least beneath; petioles shorter to longer than leaflets; stipules 8–16 mm long, linear-caudate or filiform.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes lax, mostly 12–20-flowered; bracts filiform, 4–10 mm long; bracteoles curved-ascending from just below calyx, 3.5–10 mm long, linear-lanceolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx accrescent, 1.4–2(2.4) cm long, hairy; upper lobes lanceolate, c. 3 times as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard subcircular, blue, pubescent outside; wings oblong, as long as the keel; keel 1.6–1.8 cm long, bent at right-angles in lower half, with a well developed practically straight beak, densely lanate-pilose on the upper edge.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod (3.5)4–5 cm long, broadly oblong-clavate, shortly stipitate, pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds c. 3.5 mm long, oblique-cordiform, slightly rugulose, pale brown, mottled darker.

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect well-branched annual, up to 3–10 dm. tall.

Morphology Stem

Stem densely pubescent with two types of hairs—mostly subappressed, slightly crisped, with other long fine and spreading ones between—or less commonly all straight and spreading; hairs slightly or conspicuously swollen at the base.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets narrowly to broadly elliptic, up to 3·5–5·5 cm. long, 2–3·6 cm. wide, glabrous to sparsely pilose above, pilose beneath; petiole up to 4–7 cm. long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules filiform, up to 11–16 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes lax, up to 15–35 cm. long, ± 12–20-flowered; bracts filiform, 4–10 mm. long; bracteoles curved-ascending from just below the calyx, linear-lanceolate, up to 3·5–10 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx accrescent, 14–20(–24) mm. long, pilose on the tube, appressed pubescent or pilose on the lobes; upper lobes lanceolate, ± 3 times as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard suborbicular, blue, pubescent outside; wings oblong, as long as the keel, blue along the upper margin; keel bent at right-angles in the lower half, with a well-developed practically straight untwisted beak, 16–18 mm. long, densely lanate-pubescent along the upper margin, with the hairs sometimes extending on to the lateral surfaces.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod shortly stipitate, broadly oblong-clavate, (35–)40–45 mm. long, 14–20 mm. in dorsi-ventral diameter, pilose, ± 70–100-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds oblique-cordiform, up to 3·5 mm. long, slightly rugulose, with the low irregularly raised areas in concentric rows near the margin, radial towards the hilum, pale brown, mottled darker.

Habitat

Deciduous woodland and bushland, grassland of dry and seasonally inundated places, also persisting on roadsides and cultivated ground; 0–1800 m.

Distribution

K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 U1

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Somalia-Masai grasslands, Sudanian bushland and thicket, Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket, Sudanian grasslands

Morphology General Habit

Annual, Not climbing, Herb