Crotolaria Crotalaria
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- kroh-tah-LAR-ee-ah
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Over 600 species of the genus Crotalaria or rattlebox exist worldwide, with the majority of them native to Africa, though there are some native to the United States. In their native habitat, they can be found in damp grasslands, floodplains, and along the edges of rivers, swamps, and other wet locations. Dry locations include roadsides and open fields.
The common names all refer to the rattling sound made by the seeds inside the pod-like fruit when shaken. It was first introduced into the US as a soil builder, its nitrogen fixing bacteria will improve the quality of the soil. Its botanical name comes from an Ancient Greek word that translates to castanet, again referring to the sound the dried seeds make.
Depending on its location, it grows as an annual or perennial herb. It has alternate, simple, or divided leaves and yellow flowers on long terminal or axillary clusters, each being 5-parted and pea-like. The fruit is an inflated, subcylindric pod with many seeds.
Native varieties include Crotalaria pumila and Crotalaria rotundifolia.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The seeds from this plant are toxic to livestock. The self seeding by this plant can be weedy and aggressive in the surrounding locations.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Crotalaria albida
- Crotalaria incana
Common name - Shake Shake or Velvety Rattlebox - Crotalaria juncea
Common name - Sunn hemp - Crotalaria lanceolata
Common name - Lanceleaf Rattlebox - Crotalaria longirostrata
Common name - Longbeak rattlebox - Crotalaria pallida
Common name - Smooth Crotalaria - Crotalaria pallida var. obovata
Common name - Smooth Rattlebox - Crotalaria pumila
Native - Common name - Low Rattlebox - Crotalaria retusa
Common name - leaf rattlepod - Crotalaria rotundifolia
Native - Common name - Rabbitbells
Crotalaria spectabilis
- Crotalaria tetragona
Edible variety
Common name - Showy Rattlebox - Crotalaria incana
- Crotalaria albida, Crotalaria incana, Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria lanceolata, Crotalaria longirostrata, Crotalaria pallida, Crotalaria pallida var. obovata, Crotalaria pumila, Crotalaria retusa, Crotalaria rotundifolia, Crotalaria spectabilis, Crotalaria tetragona
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Crotalaria albida
- Crotalaria incana
Common name - Shake Shake or Velvety Rattlebox - Crotalaria juncea
Common name - Sunn hemp - Crotalaria lanceolata
Common name - Lanceleaf Rattlebox - Crotalaria longirostrata
Common name - Longbeak rattlebox - Crotalaria pallida
Common name - Smooth Crotalaria - Crotalaria pallida var. obovata
Common name - Smooth Rattlebox - Crotalaria pumila
Native - Common name - Low Rattlebox - Crotalaria retusa
Common name - leaf rattlepod - Crotalaria rotundifolia
Native - Common name - Rabbitbells
Crotalaria spectabilis
- Crotalaria tetragona
Edible variety
Common name - Showy Rattlebox - Crotalaria incana
- Crotalaria albida, Crotalaria incana, Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria lanceolata, Crotalaria longirostrata, Crotalaria pallida, Crotalaria pallida var. obovata, Crotalaria pumila, Crotalaria retusa, Crotalaria rotundifolia, Crotalaria spectabilis, Crotalaria tetragona
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Crotalaria
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Weed
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Tropics & Subtropics
- Distribution:
- Tropical America and US
- Wildlife Value:
- Serves as a host plant for the larvae of several moths and butterflies.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Attracts Pollinators
- Wildlife Larval Host
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Poisonous
- Weed
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Description:
- The fruits are an inflated, subcylindric pod with up to 20 seeds that rattle hence the common name.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Shape:
- Lipped
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- fused petals
- Flower Description:
- Yellow on long terminal or axillary clusters, each 5-parted and pea-likefus
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Alternate, simple, or divided leaves
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Moths
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
- Weedy