Crotalaria nana Burman (1786: 156)

Ninkaew, Sakuntala, Balslev, Henrik, Pornpongrungrueng, Pimwadee & Chantaranothai, Pranom, 2017, Crotalaria L. (Fabaceae: Faboideae) in continental Southeast Asia, Phytotaxa 320 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

28. Crotalaria nana Burman (1786: 156) . Type :— INDIA. Walker s.n. (holotype K000591116 !).

Herb, prostrate, 15–30 cm high, much branched nearly from the base; young branches terete, brown pubescent. Leaves simple. Stipules minute, caducous. Petioles 0.2–1 mm long. Lamina oblong, 0.3–1.5 × 0.2–0.4 cm, base obtuse, apex acute or obtuse, margin entire, both surfaces brown pubescent; lateral veins inconspicuous. Inflorescences terminal or axillary with capitate racemes of 2–4 flowers, 1.8–2.5 cm long; peduncle 1–1.2 cm long, brown pubescent. Bracts narrowly linear, 1.5–2 mm long, persistent. Pedicels 2–3 mm long, brown pubescent. Bracteoles inserted on the calyx tube, narrowly linear, 1–2 mm long, persistent. Calyx 4–5 mm long, campanulate, bilabiate; tube 1–4.5 mm long; lobes triangular, 0.5–3 mm long, glabrous inside, brown pubescent outside. Corolla yellow. Standard: claw 0.8–1 mm long, white tomentose above and along the margin, glabrous below; blade oblong, 3.5–3.7 × 1.3–1.5 mm, base cuneate, apex obtuse with brown pubescence, margin glabrous. Wings: claw 0.7–0.8 mm glabrous; blade lanceolate, 2.5–2.8 × 0.5–0.7 mm, base oblique, apex obtuse, margin glabrous. Keel: claw 0.5–0.7 mm long, glabrous; blade ovate, 3.8–4 × 1.5–1.8 mm, beak spirally twisted, base cuneate, apex attenuate, margin white puberulous. Stamens: filaments fused for proximal 1–1.5 mm, free for distal 2–3 mm; anthers either narrowly linear, 0.5–0.6 mm long, or oblong, ca. 0.1 mm long. Ovary sessile, elliptic, 2–2.2 mm long, glabrous; style 2.3–2.5 mm long, adaxially white puberulous in a single line along the distal edge, abaxially glabrous. Pods sessile, elliptic, 4.5–7 × 2–3 mm, brown-black, glabrous. Seeds reniform, 1–1.8 × 0.5–0.8 mm, brown-black.

Representative specimens: — MYANMAR. Yenangheum: Irrawaddy River, 1826, Wallich 5371 ( K) . THAILAND. Roi Et: Phanom Phrai, Ban Kok Kaew, 4 October 1985, Paisooksantivatana y1667-85 ( BK) . VIETNAM. Da Nang: 18 February 1939, Poilane 28863 ( P) . Distribution: —Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam). ( Figure 18 ). Ecology: —Elevation 7–130 m. Notes: —The diagnostic characters of C. nana are its prostrate habit with much branching from the base, its capitate inflorescences and persistent bracts.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Distribution map of Crotalaria nana and C. neriifolia in continental Southeast Asia.