Crotalaria comosa Baker

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Habit
Dambo margin in damp muck soil
Near Shanda Village, Luena, Kaoma Distr.
Mar 2021
Photo: Nick Wightman

Inflorescence
Dambo margin in damp muck soil
Near Shanda Village, Luena, Kaoma Distr.
Mar 2021
Photo: Nick Wightman

Flower
Dambo margin in damp muck soil
Near Shanda Village, Luena, Kaoma Distr.
Mar 2021
Photo: Nick Wightman

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Synonyms:
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Erect, generally well-branched annual or short-lived perennial up to 2 m tall, branches appressed pubescent to tomentellous; leaves 3-foliolate, estipulate; leaflets variable, mostly 3-17 x 0.8-4.5 cm, linear-lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate or elliptic, appressed puberulous or pubescent beneath, petiole shorter than leaflets; racemes 6-35 cm long, shortly pedunculate, densely many flowered; bracts 3-12 mm long, caudate, bracteoles inserted at base of calyx, 3-5 mm long, filiform; calyx 3.5-5 mm long, becoming basally truncate and deflexed against the pedicel, appressed pubecent, lobes narrowly triangular acuminate, ± as long as tube or longer; standard obovate-circular or obovate-elliptic, yellow with brown or maroon veining; wings ± as long as the keel; keel 6-8 mm long, strongly rounded about the middle with a narrow sharp beak incurved at the tip; pod very shortly stipitate, 1.2-1.6 x 0.5-0.7 cm, ellipsoid-oblong, shortly pubescent to tomentellous, 10-16-seeded; seeds c. 3 mm long, obliquely cordiform, smooth, brownish.
Type location:	Angola
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	comosa: bearing a tuft of hairs or leaves, with many leaves
Habitat:	Miombo woodland, grassland and in disturbed places sometimes in damp places
Altitude range:	900 - 1400 m
Flowering time:	Feb - Apr
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in tropical Africa except the easternmost and southernmost parts
Zambian distribution (Flora Zambesiaca):	N,W,E,S
Zambian distribution (Provinces):	Nw,N,E,C
Growth form(s):	Annual.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Thursday 6 May 2021
Literature:	Martins, E.S. et al. (2003). Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(7) Pages 146 - 147.

Other sources of information about Crotalaria comosa:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Crotalaria comosa
Flora of Mozambique: Crotalaria comosa

External websites:

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