"Erect perennial shrub, c. 1 m high;..." (PlantNet)

Crotalaria mitchellii has two subspecies; Crotalaria mitchellii subsp. mitchellii and Crotalaria mitchellii subsp. laevis and both have similar distributions. Whilst both taxa occur on light-textured soils, the subsp. laevis has been known to grow on heavier basaltic soils.

Crotalaria mitchellii subsp. mitchellii has relatively broad leaves, 2-5cm across, and the stems are pubescent.

Nitrogen fixing forbs such as Crotalaria species are potentially very useful in rehabilitation projects though currently very difficult to obtain. In many cases wild stands are under pressure and removing their seed may be unhelpful to the cause of conservation. In our area are several previous herbarium sampling sites where Crotalaria mitchellii has been outcompeted by Eragrostis curvula (African Lovegrass) and other weeds on granitic soils.

We are testing the culture of such plants, including Crotalaria, for seed production. In this manner appropriate forms can be selected from desireable sites, edaphic factors all considered, and parent stocks can be left alone in the forests.

PlantNET (The NSW Plant Information Network System). Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au [Accessed: Jan 22, 2021]

https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Crotalaria~mitchellii

Stanley, T.D. and Ross, E.M. (1983). Flora of south-eastern Queensland, Vol. 1, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane. p. 275, Crotalaria mitchellii.