Crotalaria vandenbrandii R.Wilczek

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Afromontane grassland, Zambezian woodland

Morphology General Habit

Annual, Not climbing, Herb

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual 20–50 cm tall, developing ascending branches, densely long-pilose, the hairs 1–2 mm long, twisted when dried.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate, uppermost occasionally 1-foliolate; leaflets 8–20 × 2–6 mm, oblong-oblanceolate, pointed, thinly pilose on both surfaces; petiole 1.5–6 mm long; stipules 0.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes sessile, 3–15 cm long, densely many-flowered, with other flowers developing in the axils below; bracts leaf-like, linear-lanceolate, 4–8 mm long, as long as the flowers and fruits; bracteoles 0.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 4–5 mm long, pilose; lobes attenuate-triangular, 3 times as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard elliptic to oblong-obovate, pale yellow, densely pilose outside; wings nearly as long as the keel; keel 6–7 mm long, angular, with a narrow ± straight twisted beak.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod sessile, 4–6 mm long, globose-ellipsoid, densely pilose, 2-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1.5–2 mm long, oblique-cordiform, smooth, with a distinct aril.

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual, up to 5 dm. tall, ultimately with a number of ascending or rather spreading branches, particularly from near the base.

Morphology Stem

Stem densely pilose with long very fine mostly spreading slightly crimped silvery or tawny hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets oblong-oblanceolate to oblanceolate-elliptic, up to 15–20 mm. long and 3–6 mm. wide, acute, thinly long-pilose on both surfaces; petiole ± 3–6 mm. long.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules absent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes sessile, dense, up to 15 cm. long, many-flowered, with other flowers clustered in many of the axils below; bracts linear-lanceolate, attenuate at either end, 4–6(–8) mm. long, ± as long as the flowers and fruits; bracteoles obscure or absent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 4–5 mm. long, with the tube protracted on the lower side, densely long pilose; upper lobes very narrowly attenuate-triangular, 2–3 times as long as the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard elliptic, pale yellow, uniformly pilose outside; wings scarcely shorter than the keel; keel bent at right-angles in the lower third, with a narrow practically straight twisted beak, up to 6–7 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod sessile, subglobose, 4–6 mm. long, pilose, 2-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds oblique-cordiform, ± 2 mm. long, with a small white aril, smooth, brown.

Habitat

Rocky hillsides and sandy roadsides in general areas of Brachystegia woodland; 1500–1650 m.

Distribution

T4 T7