Fabaceae
Crotalaria

Crotalaria juncea L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 714 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Afghanistan to Indo-China. It is an annual and grows primarily in the subtropical biome. It is used as animal food, a poison and a medicine, has environmental uses and social uses and for food.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect laxly branched annual, up to 1·6 m. tall.
Morphology Stem
Stem ribbed, appressed pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple; blade oblong-lanceolate, up to 75–130 mm. long, 14–22 mm. wide, narrowed to the rounded apex, thinly appressed pilose above, more conspicuously so beneath; petiole 3–5 mm. long.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules filiform, ± 2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes lax, up to 10–25 cm. long, ± 8–20-flowered; bracts elliptic, acuminate, 3–5 mm. long; bracteoles inserted at the base of the calyx, linear, 2–5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx slightly 2-lipped, 16–20 mm. long, brownish tomentellous, with other longer hairs interspersed; upper lobes narrowly attenuate oblong, up to 3–4 times as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard elliptic to suborbicular, bright yellow, faintly reddish marked, with scattered hairs outside; wings a little shorter than the keel; keel abruptly rounded in the lower quarter, with a long slightly incurved twisted beak, 17–20 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod subsessile, cylindrical, up to 32–55 mm. long, 12–17 mm. across, tomentose with mostly short spreading hairs, ± 6-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds oblique-cordiform, with the narrow end strongly incurved, up to 6 mm. long, smooth to papillose around the hilum, very dark brown to black.
Habitat
Deciduous bushland and grassland, persisting as a weed of fallow fields; 0–1250 m.
Distribution
K7 T2 T8 pantropical crop plant, locally naturalized
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Ecology
Africa: Cultivated
Morphology General Habit
Annual/Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub
Vernacular
Cascavelle, Grand Sonnette, Grand Tcha-tcha, Hana, Krotalyariya Sitnikovaya, Sannai, Sonnette, Sunn, Sunn Crotalaria, Sunn Hemp, Sunnhemp, Tcha-tcha
[ILDIS]

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
cascabel, cascabelito, crotalaria, maraquitas
[UNAL]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 50–2000 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Caldas, Cundinamarca, Magdalena, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb, Subshrub.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

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]

Leguminosae, various authors. Flora Zambesiaca 3:7. 2003

Morphology General Habit
Erect laxly branched annual, up to 1.5(3) m tall; stem ribbed, appressed pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple; blade 6–15 × 0.5–3 cm, oblong-lanceolate, finely appressed pubescent on both surfaces, more conspicuously so beneath; petiole 3–5 mm long; stipules 1–2 mm long, filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes 10–50 cm long, laxly 6–20-flowered; bracts 3–5 mm long, elliptic, acuminate; bracteoles at base of the calyx, 2–5 mm long, linear.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 1.6–2 cm long, slightly 2-lipped, brownish tomentellous, with longer hairs interspersed; upper lobes narrowly attenuate-triangular, up to 3–4 times as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard elliptic to subcircular, bright yellow, faintly reddish marked or tinged, with scattered hairs outside; wings a little shorter than the keel; keel 1.7–2.2 cm long, subangular, with a long slightly incurved twisted beak.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod subsessile, 3–5.5 × 1.2–1.7 cm, cylindrical, velvety tomentose, 6–12-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 6–7 mm long, oblique-cordiform, with the radicular lobe strongly incurved, smooth to papillose around the hilum, dark brown to black.
[FZ]

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
Naturalizada en Colombia; Alt. 50 - 2000 m.; Andes, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba, subarbusto
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Uses

Use
Chemical products, Environmental, Fibre, Food and Drink, Forage, Medicine, Miscellaneous, Toxins, Wood
[ILDIS]

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

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/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 Backbone Distributions

    • 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

  • 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

  • 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