Crotalaria vespertilio Bentham (1839:429)

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 : 55

40. Crotalaria vespertilio Bentham (1839:429) .

Lectotype (designated here):— BRAZIL. Goiás. Ourofino, Goyaz, J.B.E. Pohl s.n. (Lectotype: K 000500545 digital image!)

Subshrub or shrub 1–2.5 m high; branches glabrous or glabrescent, not ribbed; internodal stem wings, decurrent at the junction of the branches and the main axis, 3–10 × 1.5–5 cm, apex obtuse, falcate or triangular or absent. Leaves simple, blades obovate or elliptic, 5–11 × 2–4 cm, glabrous above and sparsely pubescent or glabrescent beneath; stipules absent. Inflorescence a raceme, 10–52 cm long, terminal, internodal or opposite to a leaf; peduncles 4.5–6 cm long. Flowers 15–40, pedicels 8–12 mm long; bracts 5–7 × 1–2 mm, linear to linear- lanceolate, persistent; bracteoles 4–7 × 1–2 mm, linear- lanceolate, persistent; calyx 15–20 mm long, deeply divided into 2 lips, glabrous; corolla yellow; the standard petal 1.8–2 × 1.7–2 cm; wing petals 1.6–2 cm long; keel petals 1.7–2 cm long, twisted; ovary 6 mm long, subsessile; style geniculate. Legumes 3–4 × 0.8–1 cm, oblong- clavate or obovate, glabrous, black at the maturity, ca. 20-seeded; seeds 3–4 × 4 mm, seed coat brown or black.

Distribution and Ecology: — Crotalaria vespertilio occurs in the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás, São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina. It is found in grasslands and along forest margins, mainly in cerrado vegetation. Bach & Fortunato (2014) reported C. vespertilio from northeastern Argentina and eastern Paraguay.

Note: — Bentham (1839) referred to two locations in Goiás when describing this species: “ Ourofino and Santa Cruz, in Goyas. Polh ”. We found materials comprising one specimen mounted on one sheet, stating two collection numbers (1634 and 2602), and two locations (“ Ourofino and Santa Cruz ”) in NY and W herbaria. On the other hand, the material in the K herbarium (K000500545) is unambiguous by stating only one location and collection number. Thus, we hereby designate this specimen as lectotype.

Selected specimens studied: — BRAZIL. Goiás: Colinas do Sul, 13º48’ 340”S 48º08’ 377”W, 550 msm, 10 February 2002, Flores et al. 871 ( UEC). Mato Grosso: Chapada dos Guimarães, 17 May 1999, Amorim Neto et al. 925 (CH) . Mato Grosso do Sul: Campo Grande , April 1949, Hanke 26 (U) ; Terenos, 05 September 1988, Conceição 2347 ( CGMS 01869 ). Paraná: Rio Bonito do Iguaçú , 21 June 1995, Poliquesi & Cordeiro 202 ( MBM). Santa Catarina: Imbituba, 18 October 1998, Flores & Rodrigues 223 ( ICN). São Paulo: Mogi das Cruzes, 01 April 1961, Mattos et al. 8865 ( HAS) .