Crotalaria breviflora De Candolle (1825:127)

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 : 35-36

4. Crotalaria breviflora De Candolle (1825:127) . ( Fig. 6a )

Type: — BRAZIL. “Brasilia”, undated, Delessert Hb. s.n. (holotype: G photographs!).

Herbs or subshrubs 0.8–1.5 m high; branches pubescent, not ribbed, much branched; internodal stem wings 4–8.5 × 0.1–0.5 cm, narrow, occurring partially or throughout the length of the stem, apex acuminate, rounded or truncate. Leaves simple, blades ovate- lanceolate, elliptic- oblong or elliptic, 4.5–9 × 1.7–3.7 cm, pubescent above and beneath; stipules absent. Inflorescence a raceme, 5–19 cm long, opposite to a leaf or terminal; peduncles 1–3.8 cm long. Flowers 5–15; pedicels 3–5 mm long; bracts 5–9 × 1–2 mm, linear- lanceolate, persistent; bracteoles 4–9 × 1–2 mm, linearlanceolate, persistent; calyx 11–17 mm long, deeply divided into 2 lips, pubescent; corolla pale yellow; the standard petal 1.2–1.6 × 0.8–1.3 cm, wing petals 1–1.4 cm long; keel petals 1.3–1.6 cm long, twisted; ovary 4–5 mm long, subsessile, glabrous; style geniculate. Legumes 3.0–3.2 × 1–1.1 cm, oblong- clavate, glabrous, black at maturity, ca. 20-seeded; seeds 3 × 3 mm, seed coat brown or greenish brown.

Distribution and Ecology: —Known only from Brazil, in the states of Goiás, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Crotalaria breviflora occurs in grasslands, thickets, creek flood plains and gallery forest margins in cerrado vegetation.

Selected specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Goiás: Dianópolis, Serra do Duro, July 1967, Costa 1395 ( ALCB). Minas Gerais: Cachoeira do Campo , February 1835, Lund 2914 (C). Paraná: Arapoti , 2 February 1979, Costa Lima s.n. ( UPCB 10493 ). Rio de Janeiro: Petrópolis, Vale do Bonsucesso , 26 January 1968, Sucre & Braga 2200 ( HB). São Paulo: Atibaia, 27 July 2001, Flores & Rodrigues 603 ( UEC) ; Campos do Jordão, Parque Est. Campos do Jordão—Inst. Flor. , 29 January 1986, Robim 391 ( SPSF, SP) ; Itu , 28 January 1836, Kiorskow 1899 (C) ; Jundiaí, Serra do Japi , 18 April 1995, Wanderley et al. 2131 ( UEC) ; Peruíbe , March 1957, Gemtchujnicov s.n. ( HAS 82614 ) ; Ribeirão Branco , 24 April 2002, Flores & Schütz - Rodrigues 909 ( UEC) .

Figures

FIGURE 6. Habit of (a) Crotalaria breviflora DC., (b) Crotalaria flavicoma Benth., (c) Crotalaria grandiflora Benth., (d) Crotalaria harleyi Windler & S.G. Skinner, (e) Crotalaria holosericea Nees & Mart. (f) Crotalaria laeta Mart. ex Benth. Photos by A.S. Flores.