Crotalaria velutina Bentham (1839: 429)

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 : 54-55

38. Crotalaria velutina Bentham (1839: 429) . ( Fig. 5d ).

Type:— BRAZIL. Goiás: Rio Uruhu, & betw. Bomfin & Caldas in Goyaz , J.B.E. Pohl 2747 (holotype: K 000500548 digital image!; isotypes: F!, NY 6696 digital image!) .

Herb or subshrub up to 1 m high; branches canescent or pubescent, not ribbed; internodal stem wings narrow, 1–2.5 × 0.1–0.5 cm, apex truncate or triangular. Leaves simple, blades ovate- lanceolate, narrowly lanceolate or elliptic, (1.8–) 2.5–6.5 × 0.7–2.5 cm, pubescent or canescent above and beneath; stipules absent. Inflorescence a raceme, 4–7 cm long, internodal or opposite to a leaf; peduncles 1–4 cm long. Flowers 1–3, pedicels 5–10 mm long; bracts 5–12 × 1–2 mm, elliptic- lanceolate, persistent; bracteoles 4–10 × 1–2 mm, elliptic- lanceolate, persistent; calyx 10–17 mm long, deeply divided into 2 lips, canescent or pubescent; corolla pale yellow; the standard petal 1–1.5 × 0.6–1.2 cm; wing petals 0.9–1.4 cm long; keel petals 1–1.5 cm long, twisted; ovary 4–5 mm, glabrous, subsessile; style geniculate. Legumes 3.2–4 × 1.2–1.5 cm, oblong- clavate or cylindrical, glabrous, black at the maturity, ca. 30-seeded; seeds 3–4 × 3 mm, seed coat brown.

Distribution and Ecology: — Crotalaria velutina occurs mainly in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Mato Grosso and the Federal District. The taxon is found in open areas, grasslands and woodlands in cerrado vegetation in Brazil.

Selected material examined: — BRAZIL. Federal District: Brasília, 17 March 1980, Heringer et al. 3944 (IBGE). Goiás: Goiás Velho, 22 January 1966, Irwin et al. 11977 (UB). Mato Grosso: Rondonópolis, 12 April 2001, Flores & Rodrigues 544 (UEC). Minas Gerais: Carrancas, 13 October 2001, Flores et al. 651 (UEC). São Paulo: Campinas, 2 June 1977, Taroda et al. 5602 (UEC).

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.