Crotalaria recta

Steud. ex A. Rich.

Fabaceae Edible: Flowers Potential hazards — see below 17 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A tall herb or shrub. It grows 1.8 m high. It is stiffly erect with few branches. It has some fine hairs. The stem has some ribs. The leaf stalk is 4 cm long. The leaflets are broadly oval. They are 9 cm long by 5 cm wide. They have a blunt tip with a small point. There are many large flowers. They are in 45 cm long groups at the ends of branches. They are yellow. The fruit is a pod 5 cm long by 1.5 cm wide. It becomes more broad towards the end.

Edible Uses

The flowers are edible.

Known Hazards

Easily damaged by Fusarium wilt.

Distribution

In Swaziland it is in the high veld only.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Central Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Notes

It is easily damaged by Fusarium wilt.

Also Known As

Ciwere

References (4)

East African Herbarium records, 1981,
Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 36
Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 132
Swaziland's Flora Database http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora