Crotalaria pseudodiloloensis R.Wilczek

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

Morphology General Habit

Stems several to many, erect from a slender vertical and rhizomatous rootstock, 8–35 cm tall, slender, simple to sparingly branched, scarcely ribbed, appressed or subappressed pubescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves often little developed at flowering time, mostly 3-foliolate, uppermost often 1-foliolate; leaflets 4–14 × 0.5–3(4) mm, linear-oblanceolate to oblanceolate, acute to obtuse or rarely rounded at the apex, often folded lengthwise, glabrous or nearly so above, finely pubescent beneath; petiole 1–3(10) mm long, channelled; stipules 0.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes (3)7–12 cm long, subdense at first, becoming lax, (6)10–24-flowered, often with flowers in the axils below; bracts 1–3(6) mm long, linear-lanceolate, usually shorter than the pedicel; bracteoles on the pedicel, setaceous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 3–4 mm long, appressed pubescent; lobes triangular to triangular-lanceolate, 1.2–1.5(2) times as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard broadly elliptic-obovate, yellow, usually flushed crimson-purple, usually thinly but extensively pubescent outside; wings ± as long as the keel; keel 5–7 mm long, angular, with a narrow twisted beak slightly incurved at the tip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod nearly sessile, 5–7 × 3–4 mm, ovoid-globose to shortly oblong-ovoid, appressed pubescent, 4–10-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds c. 2 mm long, rounded-cordiform, smooth, brown, exarillate.

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial with numerous erect simple or little-branched stems from a narrow sometimes rhizomatous stock, up to 1–3·5 dm. tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems very slender, generally rather densely covered with appressed hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves mostly 3-foliolate, but the uppermost usually 1-foliolate; leaflets linear-oblanceolate to oblanceolate, up to 9–14 mm. long and 1–3·5 mm. wide, acute to rounded at the apex, often folded lengthwise, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs above, appressed pilose beneath; petiole ± 1–3 mm. long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules absent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes sessile or shortly pedunculate, up to5–13 cm. long, with a number of fairly closely arranged flowers and other flowers often clustered in the axils below; bracts linear to linear-lanceolate, 1–3(–5) mm. long; bracteoles variously inserted on the pedicel or rarely at the base of the calyx, filiform, 0·5–1(–2·5) mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 3·5–4·5 mm. long, with the tube slightly protracted on the lower side, densely appressed pubescent; upper lobes acuminately triangular, at least a little longer than the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard obovate-orbicular, yellow, heavily flushed maroon-brown or purple, glabrous to thinly pubescent outside; wings scarcely shorter than the keel; keel bent at right-angles in the lower third, with a narrow twisted beak slightly incurved at the tip, 5·5–7(–8) mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod sessile, ovoid-globose to shortly ellipsoid, pointed, up to 5–7 mm. long and 3–4 mm. across, appressed pubescent, ± 3–6-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds orbicular-cordiform, up to 2 mm. across, without a conspicuous aril, smooth, purplish-brown.

Habitat

Sandy roadside in general area of Brachystegia woodland, fire tolerant; 1500 m.

Distribution

T7

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian woodland, Zambezian grassland

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Herb