Crotalaria rufocaulis Gilli

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/19893130/20023225

Conservation

LC - least concern

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

Morphology General Habit

Spreading, much-branched annual or short-lived perennial, up to 1 m tall; stem hirsute with long brownish hairs

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, elliptic, 10–40 x 7–20 mm, thinly pilose on both surfaces, sometimes long-aristate; petioles longer than leaflets

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules 5–12 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes lax, 6–20-flowered

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard suborbicular, greenish-yellow or whitish, densely pilose outside; keel bent at right-angles in the lower half, 13–15 mm long, with a slightly incurved untwisted beak

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 25–30 x 11–13 mm, shortly stipitate, rather densely covered with long spreading, reddish hairs, c. 30-seeded.

Distribution

N1; S1; S Ethiopia, N Kenya

Ecology

Altitude range 230–1700 m.

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

Morphology General Habit

Ascending and spreading annual or short-lived perennial, up to 3 dm. tall, much branched from the base upwards.

Morphology Stem

Stem rather densely hirsute with long weak spreading brownish hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets elliptic, up to 23 mm. long, 16 mm. wide, thinly pilose on both surfaces; petiole up to 30 mm. long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules linear or filiform, mostly 5–10 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes lax, up to 13 cm. long, ± 6–10-flowered; bracts lanceolate, up to 6 mm. long; bracteoles curved, ascending from just below the calyx, lanceolate, acuminate, up to 5–7 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx accrescent, 12–15 mm. long, rather densely covered with long spreading hairs; upper lobes lanceolate, ± 3 times as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard suborbicular, greenish-yellow, veined green, densely pilose outside; wings nearly as long as the keel; keel bent at right-angles in the lower half, with a narrowed slightly incurved untwisted beak, 13–15 mm. long, conspicuously lanate-pubescent along the upper margin proximal to the beak.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod shortly stipitate, ellipsoid-clavate, 28–30 mm. long, 11–13 mm. across, rather densely covered with long spreading reddish hairs, ± 30-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Mature seeds unknown.

Habitat

Secondary bushland and grassland; 1080–1110 m.

Distribution

K1

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual, Not climbing, Herb