Crotalaria shirensis (Baker f.) Milne-Redh.

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

Morphology General Habit

Small erect annual, exceptionally up to 4 dm. tall, sometimes much branched.

Morphology Stem

Stem very slender, with small scattered appressed or spreading hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves subsessile, simple; blades mostly narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic (sometimes linear outside the Flora area), up to 35–60 mm. long and 2–5 mm. wide, but the basal ones often broader, elliptic to ovate, glabrous above, sparsely puberulous beneath; petiole up to 1 mm. long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules filiform, up to 1–3 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes slenderly pedunculate, lax, up to 3–6(–9) cm. long, mostly 1–3-flowered; bracts filiform, up to 1 mm. long; bracteoles inserted at the top of the pedicel, similar to the bract.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2·5–4 mm. long, thinly puberulous; lobes acuminately triangular, a little longer than the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard elliptic, pale yellow, with a darker red-fringed mark at the base inside, reddish veined and glabrous outside; wings shorter than the keel; keel bent at right-angles in the lower third, with a long narrow distinctly recurved untwisted beak, 5–6 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod sessile, narrowly cylindrical, up to 10–13 mm. long, 2–3 mm. across, shortly and rather sparsely pubescent, ± 15–20-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds cordiform, ± 1 mm. long, smooth, reddish-brown.

Figures

Fig. 130/1–11.

Habitat

Brachystegia woodland, upland grassland and as a weed of cultivations and roadsides where competition is low, on sandy and clay soils; 900–1850 m.

Distribution

K3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Sudanian woodland, Sudanian grasslands, Zambezian woodland, Zambezian grassland

Morphology General Habit

Annual, Not climbing, Herb

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

Morphology General Habit

Small erect annual, 5–25(40) cm tall, sometimes much branched; stem very slender, with small scattered appressed or spreading hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves subsessile, simple; blades c. 2–6(8) × 0.2–0.5 cm, mostly linear-oblong to narrowly elliptic, but the basal ones often broader, elliptic to ovate, sparsely puberulous beneath; stipules up to 1–3 mm long, setaceous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes slenderly pedunculate, lax, mostly 1–3-flowered; bracts up to 1 mm long, setaceous; bracteoles at the top of the pedicel, similar.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2.5–4 mm long, puberulous; lobes acuminately triangular, a little longer than the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard elliptic, pale yellow, with a darker red-fringed mark at the base inside, reddish veined and glabrous outside; wings brighter yellow, shorter than the keel; keel 4–6 mm long, bent at right angles in the lower third, with long narrow forwardly projecting beak.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 8–13 × 2–3 mm, sessile, narrowly cylindrical, rather sparsely pubescent, c. 15–20-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds c. 1 mm long, cordiform, smooth to slightly rugulose, reddish-brown.