Crotalaria spectabilis Roth

First published in Nov. Pl. Sp.: 341 (1821)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Indian Subcontinent to Taiwan. It is an annual, perennial or subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is has environmental uses, as a poison and a medicine and for food.

Descriptions

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean, Pacific. Elevation range: 30–1400 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Caldas, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Shrub.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Protein Content

30.20% Entire seed/nut. Moisture content not stated (Jones & Earle, 1966)

[SID]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
crotalaria
[UNAL]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 30 - 1400 m.; Andes, Pacífico, Valle del Cauca.
Morphology General Habit
Arbusto
[CPLC]

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit
Erect usually well branched annual, up to 2 m. tall.
Morphology Stem
Stem angled, sulcate, subglabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple; blade oblanceolate or obovate, up to 8–14 cm. long and 3–8 cm. wide, glabrous above, appressed pubescent beneath; petiole ± 2–8 mm. long.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules obliquely oblong-ovate, up to 3–7 mm. long, 2–4 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes shortly pedunculate, rather lax, up to 21–45 cm. long, many-flowered; bracts cordate, up to 12–20 mm. long, 6–10 mm. wide, acute or acuminate; bracteoles inserted near the middle of the pedicel, lanceolate, 1–2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 11–14 mm. long, with the tube protracted on the lower side, glabrous; upper lobes broadly triangular or slightly ovate-triangular, longer than the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard suborbicular, yellow, glabrous outside; wings obovate-oblong, longer than the keel; keel rounded about the middle, with a fairly short slightly incurved twisted beak, ± 13–14 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod shortly stipitate, broadly oblong-clavate, ± 45–50 mm. long, 18–20 mm. across, glabrous, ± 20–24-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds oblique-cordiform, with the narrow end strongly incurved, ± 4 mm. long, smooth, brown.
Habitat
Locally naturalized as a weed of cultivated ground; 1100–1500 m.
Distribution
K5 T5 T8 pantropical, originating from Asia
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Cultivated
Morphology General Habit
Annual/Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub
Vernacular
Cascavelle Jaune, Dhundhani, Dhundhunia, Jhunjhunia, Maraquita, Petit Pois Rond Marron, Pois Rond Marron, Rattle Box, Rattlebox, Sani, Showy Crotalaria, Showy Rattlepod, Sonnette, Tcha-tcha
[ILDIS]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Uses

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
[UPFC]

Use
Chemical products, Domestic, Environmental, Fibre, Forage, Medicine, Miscellaneous, Toxins
[ILDIS]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    • International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Seed Information Database

    • Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. (2019) Seed Information Database (SID). Version 7.1. Available from: http://data.kew.org/sid/ (September 2019)
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0