Crotalaria subspicata Polhill

First published in Kew Bull. 22: 325 (1968)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. Tanzania to S. Malawi. 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
Erect annual to 30 cm, usually unbranched, spreading pilose.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3-foliolate, uppermost sometimes 1-foliolate; leaflets 10–25 × 3–6 mm, oblong-oblanceolate to oblong-obovate, obtuse or rounded at the apex, sparsely pilose above, thinly so beneath; petiole 2–5 mm long; stipules 0.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes sessile, 3–10 cm long, dense, many-flowered, with other flowers in the axils below; bracts 5–10 mm long, narrowly lanceolate, attenuate at either end; bracteoles 0.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 4–5 mm long, densely pilose; lobes narrowly attenuate-triangular, 3 times as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard elliptic, pale yellow, pilose outside; wings nearly as long as the keel; keel 5–5.5 mm long, angular with a narrow twisted beak.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod sessile, 4–5 mm long, ovoid-globose, pilose, 4–6-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds rounded cordiform, 1.5 mm across, smooth, exarillate.
[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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect annual, up to 3 dm. tall, often unbranched.
Morphology Stem
Stem slender, pilose with long very fine mostly spreading hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves mostly 3-foliolate, with the uppermost sometimes 1-foliolate; leaflets oblong-oblanceolate to oblong-obovate, up to 12–24 mm. long and 3–6 mm. wide, rounded at the apex, sparsely pilose on both surfaces; petiole up to 4–5 mm. long.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes sessile, dense, up to 10 cm. long, usually many-flowered, with numerous other flowers clustered in the axils below; bracts narrowly lanceolate, attenuate at either end, up to 6–9 mm. long, as long as the flowers and fruits; bracteoles absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 4–5 mm. long, with the tube protracted on the lower side, densely pilose with long fine slightly crimped mostly spreading hairs; upper lobes narrowly attenuate-triangular, 2–3 times as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard elliptic, pale yellow, pilose outside; wings scarcely shorter than the keel; keel bent at right-angles in the lower third, with a narrow practically straight twisted beak, 5–5·5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod sessile, subglobose-ovoid, ± 5 mm. long and 4 mm. across, pilose, 5–6-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds suborbicular-cordiform, up to 1·5 mm. long, without an aril, smooth, brownish or ochre.
Habitat
Brachystegia woodland; 880–910 m.
Distribution
not known elsewhere T8
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

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

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/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