3669.000 Crotalaria L.

Martins, E.S. et al. (2003) Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(7)

Description of the genus

Herbs, shrubs or rarely small trees (capensis and pallidicaulis). Stipules filiform to leaf-like, or 0. Leaves simple, 1-foliolate or digitately 3(-7)-foliolate, usually petiolate. Flowers usually yellow, variously marked, less often white or blue, usually in terminal leaf-opposed or less commonly axillary racemes or heads; bract and paired bracteoles usually present. Calyx usually with 5 subequal lobes. Standard usually with 2 appendages at the base inside; keel rounded to angled, generally with a well-developed beak. Stamens joined in a sheath; anthers arranged alternately with 5 long, basifixed and 5, smaller, dorsifixed. Style curved or geniculate, usually with 1-2 lines of hairs in the upper part, the basal portion thicker than the upper. Legume usually inflated, 1-many seeded.

Worldwide: 600 species throughout the tropics (and subtropics), most numerous in eastern and southern tropical Africa

Zambia: 175 taxa.

Insects associated with this genus:
Alytarchia amanda (Cheetah) Food plant
Azygophleps scalaris (Sesbania stem borer) Larval foodplant
Coeliades pisistratus (Two-pip policeman) Larval foodplant
Crotalaria argyrolobioides

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
abbreviata Baker f.N
abscondita Welw. ex Baker N,CImage
aculeata De Wild. subsp. aculeata B,N,W,C,SDescription, Image
adamsonii Baker f.N,W
alemanniana Torre B,W
alexandri Baker f.N,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
amoena Welw. ex Baker B,N,W
angulicaulis Harms B
anisophylla (Hiern) Welw. ex Baker f.C,SDescription, Image
annua Milne-Redh. N,W,C
anthyllopsis Welw. ex BakerN,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
arcuata Polhill N
argenteotomentosa R.Wilczek subsp. argentotomentosa N
argenteotomentosa R.Wilczek subsp. dolosa Polhill N
argyrolobioides BakerN,WDescription, Image
axillaris AitonN
axilliflora Baker f. N
axillifloroides R.Wilczek [NrEnd]NDescription, Image
barkae Schweinf. subsp. barkae B,C,E
barnabassii Dinter ex Baker f.E,S
basipeta R.Wilczek N,S
baumii Harms BDescription, Image
becquetii R.Wilczek subsp. turgida Polhill EDescription, Image
bemba R.Wilczek N,W
bequaertii Baker f.B,N,W,C,S
blanda Polhill N
bongensis Baker f. N
bredoi R.Wilczek N
calycina SchrankW,S
campestris Polhill W
carsonii Baker f. N,W
caudata Welw. ex BakerN,W,CDescription, Image
cephalotes Steud. ex A.Rich.B,N,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
chirindae Baker f.E
chrysochlora Baker f. ex HarmsW
chrysotricha Polhill N
cistoides Welw. ex Baker subsp. cistoides [NrEnd]B,WDescription
cistoides Welw. ex Baker subsp. orientalis Polhill [NrEnd]NDescription
cleomifolia Welw. ex BakerN,W,EDescription, Image
comosa BakerN,W,E,SDescription, Image
confertiflora Polhill N
cornetii Taub. & Dewèvre [NrEnd]N,W,CDescription, Image
crebra Polhill W
criniramea Baker f. ex Polhill[VU]W
cuspidata Taub. N,W
cylindrocarpa DC. B,N,W,S
cylindrostachys Welw. ex Baker[LR-lc]C,SDescription, Image
debilis Polhill W
decora Polhill N
densicephala Welw. ex Baker W,CDescription, Image
deserticola Taub. ex Baker f.N,W,C
distans Benth. subsp. macaulayae (Baker f.) PolhillW,S
distans Benth. subsp. macrotropis (Baker f.) PolhillW,CDescription, Image
duboisii R.Wilczek subsp. mutica Polhill N
egregia Polhill N
elisabethae Baker f. N,W,C
ephemera Polhill N,W
eurycalyx Polhill N
filicaulis Welw. ex Baker var. filicaulis B,N,W,C,EDescription, Image
filicaulis Welw. ex Baker var. grandiflora Polhill N
flavicarinata Baker f.B,W,SDescription, Image
florida Welw. ex Baker var. congolensis (Baker f.) R.Wilczek W
florida Welw. ex Baker var. florida B,N,W,C
florida Welw. ex Baker var. monosperma (De Wild.) R.Wilczek N
friesii I. Verd.C,S
gamwelliae Baker f. N,C
germainii Wilczek B,W,S
glauca Willd.B,N,W,C,SDescription, Image
glaucifolia BakerN,W,C,E
goetzei HarmsN,EDescription, Image
goreensis Guill. & Perr.[LR-lc]B,N,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
graminicola Baker f. N,W,C
grandistipulata HarmsB,N,W,C
huillensis Taub. subsp. zambesiaca PolhillB
incana L. subsp. purpurascens (Lam.) Milne-Redh.NDescription, Image
involutifolia Polhill [LR-lc]N,WDescription, Image
ionoptera Polhill B,W
juncea L.W,C,E,SDescription, Image
kambolensis Baker f. N,W
kapiriensis De Wild.W,C,S
kerkvoordei R.Wilczek N
kipandensis Baker f.W,C,E,SDescription, Image
kipilaensis Wilczek N,W,C
kuiririensis Baker f.B,W,C
kwengeensis R.Wilczek var. kwengeensis W
kwengeensis R.Wilczek var. parviflora Polhill W
laburnifolia L. subsp. laburnifolia N,E,SDescription, Image
lachnocarpoides Engl.[LR-lc]N,EDescription, Image
lachnophora A. Rich.[LR-lc]N,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
lanceolata E. Mey. subsp. prognatha PolhillC,E,S
lasiocarpa Polhill N
laxiflora Baker var. acuta Polhill N
laxiflora Baker var. laxiflora N
lepidissima Baker f. N,W
leptoclada Harms var. leptoclada B,N,W
limosa Polhill W
lukafuensis De Wild. [LR-lc]N,WDescription, Image
microcarpa Hochst. ex Benth.[LR-lc]B,C,E,SDescription, Image
microthamnus Robyns ex R.Wilczek N
minutissima Baker f. N,W
miranda Milne-Redh. N
modesta Polhill N,C
morumbensis Baker f. W,C,E
natalitia Meisn. var. natalitia [LR-lc]N,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
natalitia Meisn. var. rutshuruensis De Wild.EDescription, Image
nigricans Baker var. nigricans N,W,CDescription, Image
nigricans Baker var. erecta Milne-Redh. WDescription
nuda Polhill [End][LR-nt]N,W,CDescription, Image
nudiflora Polhill [DD]N
nyikensis Baker N
occidentalis Hepper N
ochroleuca G. DonB,N,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
ononoides Benth. N,W,C,SDescription, Image
onusta Polhill N
orthoclada Welw. ex Baker N,W
pallida Aiton var. pallida N,W,CDescription, Image
pallida Aiton var. obovata (G. Don) PolhillN,W
pallidicaulis Harms[LR-lc]W,C,SDescription, Image
parvula Welw. ex Baker N,WDescription, Image
passerinoides Taub. N
peregrina Polhill N
pisicarpa Welw. ex BakerS
platysepala Harv.B,S
podocarpa DC.B,SDescription, Image
polysperma KotschyS
polytricha Polhill [DD]W
praetexta Polhill N,W,C
prittwitzii Baker f. N
prolongata Baker B,N,W,E
pseudodiloloensis R.Wilczek N
pseudotenuirama Torre B,N,W,C,E,S
pygmaea Polhill N
quangensis Taub. var. malangensis (Baker f.) Polhill W
quangensis Taub. var. quangensis WDescription, Image
quarrei Baker f. var. longipes Polhill N
quarrei Baker f. var. quarrei N,W,S
recta Steud. ex A. Rich.N,W,CDescription, Image
reptans Taub.C,E,S
reptans- intermediates with pisicarpa
rhodesiae Baker f.N,C,SDescription, Image
ringoetii Baker f.[LR-lc]N,W,C,EDescription, Image
rogersii Baker f.B,N,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
senegalensis (Pers.) Bacle ex DC.N,C,EDescription, Image
sertulifera Taub. N,W,SDescription, Image
shirensis (Baker f.) Milne-Redh.[LR-lc]N,W,C,EDescription, Image
simoma Polhill [VU]N
sp. A N
sparsifolia BakerN,W,C,E,S
spartea BakerN,W
sphaerocarpa Perr. ex DC. subsp. sphaerocarpa [LR-lc]B,C,E,SDescription, Image
spinosa Hochst. ex Benth.N,W,C,S
stenoptera Welw. ex Baker B
steudneri Schweinf.B,C,E,SDescription, Image
streptorrhyncha Milne-Redh. [NrEnd]WDescription, Image
subcaespitosa Polhill E
subcapitata De Wild. var. subcapitata N,W,C
subcapitata De Wild. var. fwamboensis (Baker f.) Polhill N
subtilis Polhill N
sylvicola Baker f. W
tabularis Baker f.E
tenuipedicellata Baker f. N,W
tenuirama Welw. ex Baker N,W
teretifolia Milne-Redh.N,W,C
trinervia Polhill [VU]W
tristis Polhill [DD]N
ulbrichiana HarmsS
umbellifera R.E.Fr. [LR-lc]N,W
unicaulis Bullock N,W
valida BakerN,EDescription, Image
vandenbrandii R.Wilczek N
vanmeelii R.Wilczek [DD]N
variegata Welw. ex BakerB,N,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
virgulata Klotzsch[Agg]
virgulata Klotzsch subsp. pauciflora (Baker) Polhill N,E
virgulata Klotzsch subsp. virgulata C,E,SDescription

Other sources of information about Crotalaria:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Crotalaria
Flora of Botswana: cultivated Crotalaria
Flora of Burundi: Crotalaria
Flora of Caprivi: Crotalaria
Flora of Malawi: Crotalaria
Flora of Malawi: cultivated Crotalaria
Flora of Mozambique: Crotalaria
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Crotalaria
Flora of Zimbabwe: Crotalaria
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Crotalaria

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Crotalaria
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Crotalaria
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Crotalaria
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Crotalaria
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Crotalaria
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Crotalaria
JSTOR Plant Science: Crotalaria
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Crotalaria
Plants of the World Online: Crotalaria
Tropicos: Crotalaria
Wikipedia: Crotalaria

Copyright: Mike Bingham, Annette Willemen, Nicholas Wightman, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Mark Hyde, 2011-25

Bingham, M.G., Willemen, A., Wightman, N., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. and Hyde, M.A. (2025). Flora of Zambia: Genus page: Crotalaria.
https://www.zambiaflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=714, retrieved 2 April 2025

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