Crotalaria capensis Lam.

Cape rattle-pod (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Fabales > Fabaceae > Crotalaria

Characteristics

Bushy shrub 1-3 m tall, usually with rather persistently tomentose branches, sometimes glabrescent or even glabrous. Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets elliptic to obovate, 1.5-7 x 1-3 cm, glabrous to densely pubescent (particularly beneath); petiole usually shorter than leaflets. Stipules foliaceous, with 1-4 mm long stalk and obovate blade, 8-22(-30) mm long, usually persistent but sometimes early caducous or lacking. Racemes with few to many fairly closely arranged flowers; bracts linear-lanceolate, (1.5-)3.5-7.5(-10) mm long; bracteoles small. Calyx (0.8-)1.0-1.6(-1.8) cm long, subglabrous to thinly pubescent; lobes attenuate-triangular, longer than the tube. Standard ovate or elliptic, yellow marked and later flushed reddish, glabrous or medially pubescent outside; wings three-quarters to nearly as long as the keel; keel rounded about the middle with a rather short blunt beak, (1.5-)2-2.4 cm long. Legume oblong-clavate, with (0.5-)1.2-1.6 cm long stipe ±4.5-6.8 cm long, shortly appressed pubescent. Seeds oblique-cordiform, ±4-4.5 mm long, practically smooth, brown.
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Bushy tree or shrub, variable in indumentum, leaflet shape and calyx length, 1-3(-6) m high; branches mostly persistently tomentose. Leaflets elliptic to obovate, usually pubescent beneath, 15-70 mm long. Stipules foliaceous, obovate. Inflorescences: racemes with few to many relatively closely arranged flowers. Flowers yellow-marked, later flushed reddish. Calyx subglabrous; lobes longer than tube. Petals: wings nearly as long as keel; keel rounded about the middle with short blunt beak. Pod stipitate, 45-68 mm long, shortly appressed-pubescent. Seeds oblique-cordiform, smooth, brown.
Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets (1.5)3–7 × (1)1.5–3 cm, elliptic to obovate, pointed to rounded at the apex, glabrous to densely pubescent (particularly beneath); petioles mostly shorter than leaflets; stipules usually leaf-like, 0.8–2(3) cm long, with 1–4 mm long stalk and obovate blade, sometimes caducous or lacking.
Standard ovate or elliptic, yellow, marked and later flushed with red, glabrous or medially pubescent outside; wings three quarters to nearly as long as the keel; keel (1.5)2–2.4 cm long, rounded about the middle, with a rather short blunt beak.
Erect shrub, 2-3 m. Leaves 3-foliolate, leaflets obovate, thinly hairy, petiole usually shorter than leaflets, stipules foliaceous, sometimes lacking. Flowers in terminal racemes, yellow.
Racemes with few to many fairly closely arranged flowers; bracts (1.5)3.5–7.5(10) mm long, linear-lanceolate; bracteoles filiform, smaller.
Calyx with funnel-shaped hypanthium (8)10–16(18) mm long, glabrous to thinly pubescent; lobes attenuate-triangular, longer than the tube.
Bushy shrub, 1–3 m tall, usually with rather persistently tomentose branches, but sometimes glabrescent or even glabrous.
Pod including (5)12–16 mm long stipe c. 4.5–6.8 cm long, oblong-clavate, shortly appressed-pubescent.
Seeds 4–4.5 mm long, oblique-cordiform, practically smooth, brown.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support -
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 1.0 - 3.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer rhizobia
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Light 7-9
Soil humidity 3-7
Soil texture 3-4
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-11

Usage

Uses environmental use medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) 21 - 30
Germination temperacture (C°) 18 - 23
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment soaking
Minimum temperature (C°) -7
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Crotalaria capensis unspecified picture

Distribution

Crotalaria capensis world distribution map, present in Kenya, Mozambique, Mauritius, Malawi, Nepal, New Zealand, Réunion, Thailand, South Africa, and Zimbabwe

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:487930-1
WFO ID wfo-0000206794
COL ID ZNBR
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 710827
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Crotalaria arborescens Crotalaria capensis Crotalaria ceciliae Crotalaria incanescens Crotalaria capensis var. obscura