Flora of Dominica, Part 2 - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

NUMBER 77 FABACEAE 99
in scrub thickets and along roadsides to 550 m: west coast from
Scotts Head to Cabrits (Chambers 2786, Hodge 593, 2176,
2544, 2633, Kimber 904, Nicolson 2152, Stern & Wasshausen
2593, Webster 13308, 13449, Wilbur 7623, 7629), interior
from Sylvania to Pont Casse (Hodge 1257, Narodny s.n.,
Wilbur 7748,8140), north and east coasts (Hodge 594,3052,
3277, Whitefoord 3699, Wilbur 7512,8037,8045).
Clitoria Linnaeus (Faboid)
Twiners or trailers; stipules persistent; leaves 3-9-pinnate,
leaflets stipellate; flowers large; style longitudinally bearded.
1. Leaflets 3; flowers yellow ........... C. falcata
1. Leaflets 5-9; flowers blue to white ...... C. ternatea
Clitoria falcata
Clitoria falcata Lamarck, 1786,251.
Clitoria rubiginosa Jussieu ex Persoon, 1807,2:303.
Clitoria glycinoides A.P. Candolle, 1825,2234.
Pubescent; stipules ovate; leaflets 3; peduncles 3-15 cm
long; flowers yellow, subtended by ovate bracts; calyx villous,
2-3 cm long; pod valves with conspicuous midrib; seeds
globose, viscid.
Neotropics; in NW Dominica along road: Mome Plaisance
Estate (Whitefoord 4429). New record for Dominica, perhaps
an escape.
CIiioria ternatea Linnaeus, 1753:753.
Clitoria ternatea
Pubescent when young; stipules linear-lanceolate; leaflets
5-9; flowers solitary, axillary, large, blue or white, subtended
by orbicular bracts; calyx almost 2 cm long; seeds flat, black.
Old World tropics, introduced in cultivation and escaping:
Portsmouth (Nicolson 4201).
Cracca Bentham, nom. cons. (Faboid)
Cracca caribaea
Cracca caribaea (Jacquin) Bentham in Bentham & Oersted, 1853:9.
Galega caribaea Jacquin, 1763:212.
Benihamaniha caribaea (Jacquin) Kuntze. 1898,3(2):53.
Subshrubs; odd-pinnate leaflets to 7 pairs; stipules persistent,
subulate; flowers pink, pod linear, sessile, 7 cm x 0.3 cm,
10-25-~eeded, septate.
Neotropical but scattered and often cited as rare, infrequent,
very local; known from a single Dominica collection: sine loc.
(Zmray 116 at K). To be sought in xerophytic scrub near the
coast.
Crotalaria Linnaeus (Faboid)
Herbs or shrubs; leaves digitately 1-3-5-foliolate; flower
yellow (or blue); stamens monadelphous; pod 2-valved,
inflated.
Crotalaria pumila Ortega was credited to Dominica by
VBlez (19579) on the authority of Stehle. It is not mentioned
in the treatment of Crotalaria (Stehle and Quentin in StehlC et
al., 1948, 2536). This is a 3-foliolate species of very small
aspect (leaflets 0.7-3.5 cm long) and a short pod.
Crotalaria vasculosa Wallich ex Bentham was collected as
an introduction in the Roseau Botanic Gardens (Bassett 5 at K).
It has elliptic leaflets like C. m'cans but a striking dark and
densely pubescent fruit.
Crotalaria ranzibarica Bentham was collected as an
introduction at Mome Nurseries (Bassett 15 at K). It is similar
to C. anagyroides in its acute leaflets but the calyx teeth are
shorter than the rather long calyx tube.
1. Leaves unifoliolate (appearing simple).
2. Stipules absent or minute ........... C. retusa
2. Stipules present and persistent.
3. Stipules erect, decurrent on stem for 1 cm or more,
free above with incurving apices; leaves 3
cm.
4. Flowers yellow; leaves much longer than broad;
stipules deltoid ........... C. spectabilk
4. Flowers blue; leaves slightly longer than broad;
stipules lunate ............
C. verrucosa
1. Leaves 3-foliolate.
5. Flowers 1-3, in short, axillary racemes .........
........................ c. lotifolia
5. Flowers many, in elongate, terminal racemes.
6. Leaflets elliptic to lanceolate . ...... C. micans
6. Leaflets ovate to orbicular or obovate.
7. Calyx lobes much longer than short calyx tube;
keel equaling the wings, f included; pod with
spreading pubescence .......... C. incana
7. Calyx lobes a little longer than the calyx tube; keel
much longer than wings, exserted, pod with
C. pallida
appressed pubescence . .........
Crotalaria incana
Crotalaria incana Linnaeus. 1753:716.--Senn, 1939:350.
Pubescent annual; leaves 3-foliolate, often subtended by
much smaller leaves; leaflets broad, usually shorter than
petioles, inflorescence terminal, calyx pubescent, the lobes
lanceolate and much longer than the calyx tube; pods pendant,
pilose with spreading hairs.
Pantropical; only one collected on Dominica: sine loc.
(Zway 62 at K).