| Home | > | List of families | > | Fabaceae subfamily Papilionoideae | > | Crotalaria | > | virgulata |
| Synonyms: |
Crotalaria shamvaensis I. Verd. Crotalaria spinosa sensu J.G. Baker in F.T.A. 2: 17 (1871) |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Decumbent to erect annual or short-lived perennial, up to 1.8 m tall; branches subappressed pubescent to spreading hairy. Leaves 3-foliolate, sometimes mostly on short shoots; leaflets 4–50 mm long, linear or oblanceolate to elliptic-oblong or obovate, hairy on both surfaces or only beneath; petiole 2–30 mm long; stipules 1–3 mm long, subulate to narrowly triangular. Racemes usually of two sorts; primary racemes terminal or leaf-opposed on long shoots, 2–40 cm long, laxly 3–40-flowered, indeterminate (ending in a bud) or determinate (ending in a bristle-like extension of the rhachis); supplementary inflorescences usually developed (at least later in the season) from short shoots in axils of the main leaves, with 1–2 flowers on a filiform axis 0.2–2.5 cm long; bracts linear-lanceolate, 0.5–4 mm long, usually shorter than the pedicel. Calyx 3.5–9 mm long, pubescent; lobes 1.5–2.5 times as long as the tube. Standard broadly elliptic, yellow, often lined red, pubescent or rarely almost hairless outside; wings broadened upwards, nearly as long as the keel; keel 6–14 mm long, angular, with a narrow twisted beak. Pod shortly stipitate, more or less oblong-obovoid (sometimes only slightly broadened apically), 8–15 mm long, pubescent outside and sometimes also inside, 6–12-seeded. |
| Notes: | Several other subspecies have been described but intermediates are known in some areas. This subsp. is distinguished by the erect habit with leaves on many short shoots; main leaflets larger than secondary ones, with leaflets linear to narrowly elliptic; presence of long primary inflorescences up to 27 cm long and indeterminate (ending in a bud), secondary inflorescences are often sparse or lacking. |
| Derivation of specific name: | |
| Habitat: | In woodland, savanna and grassland. |
| Altitude range: | 150 - 1200 m |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and likely in Botswana. |
| Malawi distribution: | S |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 18. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 67. as Crotalaria virgulata Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 219. also as Crotalaria shamvaensis Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 47. Martins, E.S. et al. (2003). Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(7) Pages 181 - 183. (Includes a picture). Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 59. Polhill, R.M. (1982). Crotalaria in Africa and Madagascar. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam. Pages 290 - 292. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 64. |
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