Crotalaria rhynchocarpa Polhill

First published in Kew Bull. 22: 253 (1968)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Somalia to Kenya. It is a perennial or subshrub and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Bushy herb, slightly woody and up to 1.6 m tall; branches puberulous
Morphology Leaves Leaflets
Leaflets 3, elliptic-oblanceolate to elliptic-obovate, c. 25–50 x (10–)15–30 mm, glabrous except sometimes along the midvein above, appressed puberulous beneath; petiole shorter than the leaflets
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes fairly dense, many-flowered; bracteoles inserted at base of calyx, 1–2 mm long, caducous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 6–6.5 mm long, appressed puberulous; lobes longer than the tube
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard yellow, glabrous outside; keel rounded about the middle, 13–15 mm long, with a narrow slightly incurved untwisted beak
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod up to 30–38 mm long, beaked by the persistent style-base, with impressed sutures, appressed puberulous outside, packed with long hairs inside, c. 16-seeded.
Distribution
S2; coast of Kenya
Ecology
Altitude up to c. 150 m.
[FSOM]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/179706/1587590

Conservation
EN - endangered
[IUCN]

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone; grassland., Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone; bushland and thicket.
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

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

Morphology General Habit
Bushy short-lived perennial, up to 1–1·6 m. tall.
Morphology Branches
Branches finely white appressed puberulous; bark of the older parts whitish with peeling epidermis.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets oblanceolate-elliptic to obovate-elliptic, up to 30–48 mm. long, 18–28 mm. wide, glabrous or usually with a few small hairs along the midvein above, thinly appressed puberulous beneath; petiole 20–30 mm. long.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes up to 15 cm. long, with rather numerous fairly closely arranged flowers above; bracts filiform, 1–2 mm. long, early caducous; bracteoles inserted at the base of the calyx, 1–2 mm. long, caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx abruptly contracted at the base, 6–6·5 mm. long, appressed puberulous; lobes narrowly attenuate-triangular, longer than the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard suborbicular, clear yellow, flushed brown with age, glabrous outside; wings ± as long as the keel; keel rounded about the middle, with a narrow incurved untwisted beak, 13–15 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod cylindrical-fusiform, apically narrowed into a conspicuous straight persistent style-base, basally rather abruptly contracted into a 5–6·5 mm. long stipe, up to 30–38 mm. long, 7–8 mm. across, appressed puberulous outside, densely packed with long hairs inside, ± 16-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds oblique-cordiform, ± 3·5 mm. long, granulate, ochre or brown.
Habitat
Sandy situations along foreshore, dunes and secondary coastal bushland; less than 50 m.
Distribution
K7 not known elsewhere
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/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