Crotalaria vanmeelii R.Wilczek

First published in Bull. Jard. Bot. État Bruxelles 23: 131 (1953)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. Tanzania to NE. 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
Erect laxly branched graceful annual, 30–80 cm tall; stem slender, thinly pubescent with short appressed or rather spreading hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves subsessile, simple; blade up to 3–6 × 0.2–0.6 cm, linear to lanceolate-oblong, thinly appressed pubescent beneath; stipules up to 1.5 mm long, setaceous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes laxly 3–12-flowered; bracts 1–3 mm long, setaceous; bracteoles at the top of the pedicel, similar.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 4–7 mm long, appressed or rather spreading pubescent; lobes subulate, 2–3 times as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard elliptic, yellow, veined brown, turning purplish overall, pubescent outside; wings much shorter than the keel; keel 8.5–12 mm long, bent at right angles in the lower third, with a long straight narrow beak.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod sessile, 10–15 × 3–3.5 mm, narrowly cylindrical, thinly pubescent, up to 22-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 1.5–2 mm long, cordiform, rugulose, light brown.
[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]

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect laxly branched graceful annual, 3–8 dm. tall.
Morphology Stem
Stem slender, thinly appressed or rather spreading pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves subsessile, simple; blade linear to lanceolate-oblong, up to 30–60 mm. long, 2–6 mm. wide, glabrous above, thinly appressed pubescent beneath; petiole ± 1–1·5 mm. long.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules filiform, up to 1–5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes lax, up to 16 cm. long, ± 3–13-flowered; bracts filiform, 1–3 mm. long; bracteoles inserted at the top of the pedicel, similar to the bract.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 4–7 mm. long, conspicuously appressed or rather spreading pubescent; lobes subulate, 2–3 times as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard elliptic, yellow, veined brown and pubescent outside; wings much shorter than the keel; keel bent at right-angles in the lower third, with a long straight untwisted beak, 8·5–12 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod sessile, cylindrical, 10–15 mm. long, thinly pubescent, up to 22-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds cordiform, 1·5–2 mm. long, rugulose, light brown.
Habitat
Brachystegia woodland in sandy places, also persisting on roadsides; 900–1600 m.
Distribution
T4
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Insufficiently known
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

  • 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