Crotalaria pallida Aiton (1789:20)

Flores, Andréia Silva & Tozzi, Ana Maria Goulart De Azevedo, 2018, A synopsis of the genus Crotalaria (Leguminosae) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 346 (1), pp. 31-58 : 47

26. Crotalaria pallida Aiton (1789:20) .

Type:— ETHIOPIA. “Plant cultivated at Kew from seeds collected by Bruce in Ethiopia”, undated, J. Bruce s.n. (holotype: BM not seen).

Shrub or subshrub, 1–1.5 m high; branches puberulous; internodal stem wings absent. Leaves 3– foliolate, digitate, petioles 1.5–6 cm long; leaflets elliptic, lanceolate or obovate, 2–10 × 1–5.5 cm, puberulous above, glabrous beneath; stipules 1–2 mm long, subulate. Inflorescence raceme, 10–33 cm long, terminal, rarely axillary; peduncles 1–7 cm long. Flowers flowers 20–45, pedicels 3–5 mm long; bracts 2–4 mm long, subulate, caducous; bracteoles 1–2 mm long, subulate, caducous; calyx 5–8 mm long, lobes as long as the tube, puberulous; corolla yellow, veined reddish brown; the standard petal 1–1.6 × 0.6–0.9 cm; wing petals 0.9–1.3 cm long; keel petals 1–1.6 cm long, untwisted; ovary 6–8 mm long, stipitate; style curved. Legumes 5–4 × 0.6–0.8 cm, cylindrical, puberulous, brown at maturity, ca. 40-seeded; seeds 3 × 2 mm, seed coat brown.

Distribution and Ecology: —Native to the Old World, Crotalaria pallida is cultivated or found as an adventitious plant in restingas, disturbed fields and roadsides.

Selected material examined: — BRAZIL. Amazonas: Manaus, 23 September 1955, Chagas s.n. (INPA 2014). Bahia: Salvador, 16 June 1973, Sant’Anna s.n. (ICN 103088). Ceará: Fortaleza, 15 July 1986, Stehmann et al. 903 (ICN). Espírito Santo: Vila Velha, 11 February 1963, Santos & Sacco 1586 (PEL). Mato Grosso do Sul: Anaurilândia, 18 June 1998, Salvador et al. 13 (CGMS). Pará: Tucurui, 27 January 1980, Lisboa et al. 1198 (INPA). Paraná: Guaratuba, 16 February 1980, Oliveira 218 (MBM). Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro, 3 July 1967, Lindeman & Haas 5576 (U). Rio Grande do Sul: Eldorado do Sul, May 1984, Boldrini s.n. (ICN 82459A). Roraima: Ilha de Maracá, 22 June 1997, Souza & Carreira s.n. (INPA 197460). Santa Catarina: Barra Velha, 14 December 1998, Flores 290 (ICN). São Paulo: Santos, 14 October 1961, Pabst & Pereira 5785 (PEL).