Crotalaria lanceolata |
Crotalaria verrucosa |
|
---|---|---|
lanceleaf rattlebox |
blue rattlebox, blue rattlesnake |
|
Habit | Herbs annual. | |
Stems | erect, 30–80 cm, puberulent, hairs sharply upcurved, branches angled, slightly zigzag. |
|
Leaves | unifoliolate; stipules ovate, orbiculate, or sickle-shaped, often encircling node, 7–20 mm; blade broadly obovate, elliptic, or broadly elliptic-lanceolate, 30–70(–120) mm, length 1–1.5(–2) times width, surfaces glabrous. |
|
Racemes | 3–9(–15)-flowered, terminal, subterminal, or lateral, 3–6(–20) cm; bracts persistent or caducous, linear-triangular. |
|
Flowers | calyx broadly cylindrical, 2–3 mm, lobes ovate to lanceolate, glabrous or slightly puberulous; corolla blue to lavender, often variegated with white or blue- to purple-lined, or, sometimes, white or pale yellow tinged blue (drying yellowish), 12–15 mm. |
|
Legumes | 30–40 × 9–12 mm, moderately hirsute-pilose, hairs spreading to ascending. |
|
Crotalaria lanceolata |
Crotalaria verrucosa |
|
Phenology | Flowering year-round. | |
Habitat | Sandy wastes along beaches, thickets, hammocks. | |
Elevation | 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.) | |
Distribution |
Africa [Introduced in North America]
|
FL; Asia (India) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in West Indies, Central America, South America, other regions of Asia, Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia] |
Discussion | Subspecies 3–5 (1 in the flora). Subspecies exigua Polhill and subsp. prognatha Polhill are known from Africa. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
D. Isely (1998) noted that he had seen only two recent specimens, both from the Miami area, but that they were probably waifs; another collection has subsequently been observed from Martin County (Reed 99184, MO). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 11. | FNA vol. 11. |
Parent taxa | Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Crotalaria | Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Crotalaria |
Sibling taxa | ||
Subordinate taxa | ||
Name authority | E. Meyer in E. Meyer and J. F. Drège: Comm. Pl. Afr. Austr., 24. (1836) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 715. (1753) |
Web links |