Slender-leaf Rattlepod
Crotalaria ochroleuca ?
Observed in a pasture area near Eldoret, Kenya. December 2015.
FLOWERS: Yellow pea flowers loosely arranged on a spike.
SHRUB: Mostly herbaceous reaching close to 1 m
tall.
LEAVES: Leaves are compound with three very narrow leaflets attached at one point.
RANGE: There are many species of Crotalaria in Kenya. This species prefers moist soil. It has been used for green manure and forage.
FRUIT: The bean pods are plump and 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