Long-keeled Rattlepod
Crotalaria laburnifolia ?
Observed among roadside vegetation near Nairobi National Park, Kenya. December 2015.
FLOWERS: Lemon-yellow flowers arranged on a spike. The keel petal is long, sickle-like and contains the developing pod stipe.
SHRUB: Mostly herbaceous reaching close to 2 m
tall.
LEAVES: Leaves are compound with three ovate leaflets attached at one point.
RANGE: There are many species of Crotalaria in Kenya. This species is reported from drier soil conditions.
FRUIT: The bean pods are plump and eventually
the beans break loose inside the pod and rattle about. There is a long stipe at the terminus of the pod.
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