Rattlepod
Crotalaria agatiflora ?
Observed on a roadside slope near Tambach, Kenya. December 2012.
FLOWERS: Yellow pea flowers crowded on a spike at branch tips.
SHRUB: Mostly herbaceous woody below and reaching close to 1½m
tall.
LEAVES: Leaves are compound with three leaflets attached at one point.
Leaflets elliptical with a pointed tip.
RANGE: There are many species of Crotalaria in Kenya; next time
I plan to take more photos that might allow identification to species.
FRUIT: The bean pods are plump and turn a rich reddish brown. Eventually
the beans break loose inside the pod and rattle about.
UNARMED.
Fabaceae -- Bean Family -- Paplionoideae - Typical Bean Family
More Information:
- Book: Upland Kenya Wild Flowers and Ferns by A. D. Q. Agnew, 3rd Revised Edition, 2013, Nature Kenya - The East Africa Natural History Society
- Flora of Zimbabwe
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Images
- Google Scholar Literature Search