ABSTRACT

Taxonomic studies on twenty species of Crota/aria (Fabaceae) from Nigeria were carried out using morphological, epidermal, anatomical, histochemical, palynological, cytological and distributional lines of evidence. These studies were instigated by the reported uses of the species of Crota/aria as cover crops, in nitrogen fixation in the soil, erosion control strategy, in medicine and as antitumour agent. They are said to have nemotostatic, antibacterial and fungitoxic activities. They yield valuable fibres and other uses. The morphological studies showed that most of the species are herbs while C. calyana, C. cephalotos, C. comosa and retusa are shrubs. The Crota/aria species studied exhibited variations in heights with C. agat/flora being the tallest plant whereas C. bongensis is the shortest plant. The leaves are trifoliately compound in most of the species but simple in some speeds. The floral symmetry is found to be actinomorphic in seven species but zygomorphic in thirteen other species. Most of the twenty species of Crotaria studied are amphistomatic with diacytic type of stomata. The cell wall architecture of the lower epidermal cells are irregular and curved in most species studied buthexagonal and curved in C. confuse, irregular and sinuous in C. gram/n/cola, . cancana and C. retusa, curved to sinuous in C. cusp/data and C. goreens but straight in C. don/ana. The leaf anatomy of C. comosa and C. gram/n/co/a showed multi - layered epidermis but one - layered in other species studied. Stem anatomy showed that the epidermis is one - layer of cells thick in all.