Crotalaria spartea R.Br. ex Baker

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Lake Victoria regional transition zone; grasslands, Zambezian grassland, Afromontane grassland

Morphology General Habit

Annual, Not climbing, Herb

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect or straggling annual, up to 1 m. tall, with well-spaced wide-angled ascending branches.

Morphology Stem

Stem sparsely appressed pubescent, glabrescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves very shortly petiolate, simple; blades mostly linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, up to 62–125 mm. long and 5–8 mm. wide, the lower ones sometimes elliptic, up to 35 mm. long and 11 mm. wide, glabrous above, sparsely appressed puberulous beneath; petiole 1–2 mm. long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules linear, 1–2·5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes up to 10–28 cm. long, with ± 10–16(–22) laxly arranged flowers; bracts filiform, 1–2 mm. long; bracteoles inserted at the base of the calyx, subulate, up to 1–2 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 3–4 mm. long, sparsely appressed puberulous; lobes narrowly attenuate-triangular, ± as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard elliptic or obovate-elliptic, bright yellow, with reddish veins and glabrous outside; wings much shorter than the keel; keel shallowly curved just below the middle, with an acute only slightly incurved narrow untwisted beak, 7–9 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod practically sessile, subcylindrical, slightly broadened towards the apex, 16–20 mm. long, 4–5 mm. across, glabrous except for a few hairs along the upper side, green mottled dull purple before maturity, ± 24-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds oblique-cordiform, ± 2 mm. long, blue-green, smooth.

Figures

Fig. 129, p. 938.

Habitat

Upland grassland, descending to lower altitudes particularly in valley grassland of Brachystegia woodland, also persisting on roadsides and cultivated ground; 900–2050 m.

Distribution

T4 T7 T8 Malawi, Zambia and Congo south to Angola and the Transvaal

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect or straggling annual 0.2–1.3 m tall; branches well spaced, curved-ascending, sparsely appressed puberulous, glabrescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves very shortly stalked, simple; blades (40)60–130 × (3)5–8(15) mm, mostly linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, the lower sometimes shorter and ± elliptic, sparsely appressed puberulous beneath; stipules 1–2.5 mm long, filiform to subulate-caudate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes laxly 10–16(24)-flowered; bracts 1–2 mm long, ± filiform; bracteoles inserted at the base of the calyx, similar.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 3–4 mm long, sparsely appressed puberulous; lobes acuminately triangular, ± as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard elliptic to obovate-elliptic, bright yellow, reddish-brown veined outside; wings much shorter than the keel; keel 7–9 mm long, shallowly curved just below the middle, with a narrow sharply pointed only slightly incurved beak.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod practically sessile, 16–25 × 4–5 mm, subcylindrical, slightly broadened upwards, glabrous except for a few hairs along the upper suture, green mottled dull purple before maturity, 20–32-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1.5–2 mm long, oblique-cordiform, blue-green, smooth.