Crotalaria recta Steud. ex A.Rich.

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, usually with several erect sparingly branched stems, usually 1–2(3) m tall; stems hollow, ribbed, appressed pubescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3(rarely 5)-foliolate; leaflets mostly 2–14(20) × 1–6 cm, linear-lanceolate, oblanceolate-elliptic, elliptic or obovate, pubescent beneath; petiole (0.7)2–6 cm long; stipules (3)6–9 mm long, linear-lanceolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes 15–50 cm long, many-flowered; bracts 6–11 mm long, linear-lanceolate, caudate; bracteoles on the pedicel, 2–5 mm long, filiform.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 9–12 mm long, glabrous or pubescent; lobes triangular, ± as long as the tube or longer.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard subcircular, yellow, veined and suffused purplish at the base inside, glabrous or with a few hairs at the apex outside; wings oblong-obovate, longer than the keel, dark mark at the base; keel 1.2–1.5 cm long, rounded, with a short incurved twisted beak.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod shortly stipitate, 4.5–6.5 × 1.5–2 cm, broadly oblong-clavate, glabrous (in the Flora Zambesiaca area), c. 26–34-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds c. 4 mm long, oblique-cordiform, with the narrow end strongly incurved, smooth or papillose around the hilum, iron-grey.

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, usually with several erect sparingly branched stems, up to 1–2·7 m. tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems hollow, ribbed, appressed pubescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-folio-late; leaflets linear-lanceolate, oblanceolate-elliptic, elliptic or obovate, up to 1·8–14 cm. long, (1·4–)2·5–6 cm. wide, glabrous above, thinly to densely appressed pubescent beneath; petiole shallow and broadly grooved, up to 2·5–4(–6) cm. long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules linear-lanceolate, up to 6–9 mm. long, deflexed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes shortly and stoutly pedunculate, up to 20–50 cm. long, with many fairly closely arranged flowers; bracts linear-lanceolate, caudate, up to 8–11 mm. long; bracteoles inserted on the upper half of the pedicel, filiform, 2–5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 9–12 mm. long, with the tube protracted on the lower side, subglabrous to appressed pubescent; lobes triangular, ± as long as the tube or a little longer.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard suborbicular, yellow, veined and suffused with maroon or purple at the base inside, veined and sometimes diffused outside, glabrous or with a few hairs at the apex outside; wings oblong-obovate, longer than the keel, dark marked at the base; keel rounded about the middle, with a short incurved twisted beak, 12–15 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod shortly stipitate, broadly oblong-clavate, up to 52–60 mm. long, 18–20 mm. across, glabrous (occasionally hairy in Ethiopia), ± 26–34-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds oblique-cordiform, with the narrow end strongly incurved, ± 4 mm. long, smooth or papillose around the hilum, iron-grey.

Habitat

Grassland, sometimes extending into bushland and to forest margins and, particularly at lower altitudes, to marshy places, also persisting on cultivated ground; 850–2550 m.

Distribution

K3 K4 K5 K6 T1 T2 T4 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2 U3 U4 widespread from Eritrea west to Nigeria and south to Angola and the Transvaal

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect herb or undershrub, 3–6 ft. high, with ribbed stems

Morphology General Indumentum

Shortly brownish-pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers yellow, strongly brown-purple veined.

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