Crotalaria hilariana Bentham (1859: 25)

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 : 39

11. Crotalaria hilariana Bentham (1859: 25) .

Type: — BRAZIL. São Paulo: “pascuis prope Gurupaba et Itapeva,” undated, A. de St. Hilaire 1427 (holotype: K000500571 digital image!)

Subshrubs or herbs up to 0.5 m high; branches densely pilose, prostrate to decumbent, stem not ribbed; internodal stem wings absent or 4—13 × 1–4mm, apex acuminate or absent. Leaves simple, blades suborbicular or ovate, 0.9–4 × 0.8–3 cm, pilose above and beneath; stipules absent. Inflorescence a raceme, 5–20 cm long, opposite to a leaf; peduncles 3.5–11.5 cm long. Flowers 2–5, pedicels 3–6 mm long; bracts 3–6 × 0.5–1 mm, linear or elliptic- lanceolate, persistent; bracteoles 3–5 × 0.5–1 mm, linear or elliptic- lanceolate, persistent; calyx 6–15 mm long, deeply divided into 2 lips, pilose; corolla pale yellow; the standard petal 0.9–1.5 × 0.9–1.3 cm; wing petals 0.8–1.2 cm long; keel petals 0.8–1.2 cm long, twisted; ovary 5–6 mm long, sessile; style geniculate. Legumes 1.8–3 × 0.5–1 cm, cilyndric- obovate, glabrous, black at the maturity, ca. 35-seeded; seeds 2 × 2 mm, seed coat greenish brown.

Distribution and Ecology: — Crotalaria hilariana is widespread among high altitude grasslands in the Brazilian states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná.

Selected specimens studied: — BRAZIL: Paraná: Campo do Tenente, 26 November 1997, Miotto & Flores 1621 (ICN). Rio Grande do Sul: Arroio do Sal, 22 February 1998, Flores 175 (ICN). Santa Catarina: Bom Retiro, João Paulo, 22 January 1997, Flores 59 (ICN).