Herbs annual or short-lived perennial. Stems suffrutescent basally, erect, 75–250 cm, stri­gose to strigillose, hairs tightly appressed. Leaves 3-foliolate; stipules absent; leaflet blades elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate or elliptic-oblanceolate, 40–100(–140) mm, length 3–4.5 times width, surfaces strigose abaxially, glabrous adax­ially. Racemes 10–50-flowered, terminal, subterminal, or lateral, 10–40 cm; bracts persistent, linear-subulate. Flowers: calyx broadly cylindrical, basally truncate and deflexed against pedicel, 4–6 mm (length less than width), lobes triangular-lanceolate, glabrous or sparsely strigillose; corolla yellow with prominent reddish lines, each wing with a purple spot at base, 12–15 mm. Legumes 30–45 × 7–12 mm, sparsely to densely strigose to strigose-sericeous.

Phenology: Flowering probably year-round.
Habitat: Roadsides.
Elevation: 0–10 m.

Distribution

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Introduced; Fla., Africa, introduced also in Central America (Nicaragua), South America (Argentina, Peru), Asia (China, Java, Sri Lanka, Sumatra), Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia.

Discussion

In the flora area, Crotalaria trichotoma has been found only in Miami-Dade County.

R. M. Polhill (1982) stated that Crotalaria trichotoma does not belong in the genus Crotalaria, without stating its placement elsewhere. In contrast, D. Isely (1998) observed that C. trichotoma resembles the common C. pallida in flower but that the latter has wider leaflets and caducous bracts; the similarity of C. trichotoma to many other crotalarias is confirmed here.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.