Crotalaria sertulifera Taub.

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 23: 178 (1896)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. Tanzania to Zambia. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Small annual, with a very short stem and relatively long radiating procumbent branches from the base; branches slender, 5–10 cm long, appressed puberulous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3-foliolate (uppermost often ± suppressed); leaflets 6–14 × 5–13 mm, obovate-circular, rounded or retuse at the apex, appressed puberulous beneath; petiole 3–12 mm long; stipules 0.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes subumbelliform, with 3–8 flowers at the top of the slender peduncle, 2–6.5 cm long; bracts 0.7–1 mm long, subulate; pedicel 2–5 mm long, without bracteoles.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx c. 3 mm long, appressed puberulous; upper lobes narrowly triangular, 1.5–2 times as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard obovate, yellow, sometimes lined reddish-brown, puberulous outside at least towards the apex and margins; wings shorter than the keel; keel 4–5 mm long, angular, with a narrow twisted beak.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod sessile, 7–9 × 3–3.5 mm, subcylindrical, slightly broadened basally, slightly curved along the upper suture, puberulous, 12–16-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 1 mm long, broadly cordiform, smooth.
[FZ]

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
[AERP]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian grassland, Zambezian woodland
Morphology General Habit
Annual, Not climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

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

Morphology General Habit
Small annual, with a very short stem and relatively long radiating procumbent or slightly ascending branches from the base up to 10 cm. long.
Morphology Branches
Branches very slender, appressed puberulous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets obovate-orbicular, up to 10–14 mm. long, 8–13 mm. wide, rounded or retuse at the apex, glabrous or subglabrous above, appressed puberulous beneath; petiole up to 4–6(–12) mm. long.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes subumbelliform, with ± 3–5(–8) flowers at the top of the slender peduncle, 3–6·5 cm. long; bracts filiform or subulate, up to 1 mm. long; bracteoles absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx ± 3 mm. long, with the tube protracted on the lower side, appressed puberulous; upper lobes narrowly attenuate-triangular, longer than the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard obovate, yellow, puberulous outside at least towards the apex and margin; wings shorter than the keel; keel bent at right-angles in the lowerthird, with a well-developed narrow twisted beak, 4–5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod sessile, narrow, practically cylindrical, a little broader towards the base, slightly curved along the upper suture, 7–9 mm. long, 3 mm. across, ± 12–16-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds broadly cordiform, it 1 mm. long, without a prominent aril, smooth, ochre.
Habitat
Uncertain in Tanganyika, but probably a pioneer of bare ground in deciduous woodland; ± 1000m.
Distribution
T4
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • 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

  • 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