Crotalaria subdecurrens Martius ex Bentham (1859:20)

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 : 53

34. Crotalaria subdecurrens Martius ex Bentham (1859:20) . ( Figs. 5b , 8c ).

Lectotype (designated by Windler and Skinner 1982):— BRAZIL. “In campis ad Contendas, undated, C.F.P. Martius 1606 (M 0187182 digital image!)

Shrub or subshrub 1.5–2 m high; branches densely pubescent or canescent, not ribbed, much branched; internodal stem wings inconspicuous or narrowly, occurring throughout the length of the stem, 1–6 × 0.2–0.5 cm, apex truncate or triangular. Leaves simple, blades oblong- elliptic or widely elliptic, 6–14 × 1.3–4.5 cm, pubescent above and beneath; stipules absent. Inflorescence a raceme, 6–25 cm long, terminal or opposite to a leaf; peduncles 1–2 cm long. Flowers 5–15, pedicels 5–8 mm long; bracts 6–10 × 1–2 mm, elliptic or linear- lanceolate, persistent; bracteoles 6–10 × – 2 mm, elliptic or linear- lanceolate, persistent; calyx 18–27 mm long, deeply divided into 2 lips, pubescent; corolla pale yellow; the standard petal 1.5–2.5 × 0.8–2.5 cm; wing petals 1.6–2.3 cm long; keel petals 1.8–2.3 cm long, twisted; ovary 5–6 mm long, subsessile, glabrous; style geniculate. Legumes 3–4.5 × 1–1.5 cm, cylindrical or obovate, glabrous, black at the maturity, ca. 30-seeded; seeds 3 × 4 mm, seed coat brown.

Distribution and Ecology: — Crotalaria subdecurrens occurs in the Brazilian states of Goiás, Minas Gerais, Paraná and the Federal District. Plants have been collected from wet soils, in open areas and margins of gallery forest in cerrado vegetation.

Selected specimens studied: — BRAZIL. Federal District: 6 km de Curralinho, 48º15’W, 15º35’S), February1992, Filgueiras 2230 (IBGE). Goiás: Colinas do Sul, road to Cavalcante, 10 February 2002, Flores et al. 861 (UEC). Minas Gerais: Cristália, Rio Santa Clara, 08 June 1990, Hatschbach & Nicolak 54252 (MBM). Paraná: Guaíra, Sete Quedas, 11 December 1965, Hatschbach et al. 13331 (MBM, U).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Habit of (a) Crotalaria rufipila Benth. (Flores & Rodrigues 1010, UEC), (b) Crotalaria subdecurrens Mart. ex Benth. (Flores et al. 861, UEC), (c) Crotalaria unifoliolata Benth. (Flores et al. 814, UEC), (d) Crotalaria velutina Benth. (Flores & Tozzi 422, UEC). Scale bar: 5 cm.

FIGURE 8. Habit of (a) Crotalaria paulina Schrank, (b) Crotalaria rufipila Benth., (c) Crotalaria subdecurrens Mart. ex Benth., (d) Crotalaria tweediana Benth., (e) Crotalaria unifoliolata Benth., (f) Crotalaria vitellina Ker-Gawler. Photos by A.S. Flores.