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slender leaf rattlebox

rattleweed

Habit Herbs annual or short-lived perennial. Herbs annual.
Stems

erect, 70–250 cm, strigose.

erect, 30–90 cm, strigose to strigose-sericeous.

Leaves

3-foliolate;

stipules absent;

leaflet blades linear to linear-lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, 50–130(–180) mm, length 7–10 times width, surfaces strigose abaxially, glabrous adaxially.

unifoliolate;

stipules sometimes absent, setaceous, not decurrent on stem, 1–2 mm;

blade obovate to spatulate or oblanceolate, 30–80 mm, length 2.2–3(–4) times width, surfaces strigose abaxially, glabrous adaxially.

Racemes

4–12-flowered, terminal or subterminal, 15–40 cm;

bracts persistent, linear-triangular, minute.

5–24-flowered, terminal, subterminal, or lateral, 10–20(–30) cm;

bracts caducous, linear, 2–3 mm.

Flowers

calyx broadly cylindrical, truncate basally, 4–6 mm, lobes triangular, shiny-glabrous;

corolla pale yellow with prominent reddish purple lines, 18–20 mm.

calyx broadly cylindrical, 12–15 mm, basally truncate, lobes triangular-lanceolate, glabrous or slightly puberulous;

corolla bright yellow, with prominent reddish lines to strongly red-tinted, 20–25 mm.

Legumes

straight, (40–)50–70 × (10–)15–20 mm, sparsely strigose or glabrescent.

25–40(–50) × 10–14 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Crotalaria ochroleuca

Crotalaria retusa

Phenology Flowering Apr–Oct. Flowering Jul–Oct, Jan–Apr.
Habitat Roadsides, ditches, prairie swales, sandy fields. Fallow fields, roadsides, sandy wastes.
Elevation 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.) 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America (Brazil), Asia (China), Pacific Islands (Papua New Guinea), Australia]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; GA; KY; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Asia, Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Crotalaria ochroleuca has often been identified in the United States as C. intermedia Kotschy or C. brevidens Bentham var. intermedia (Kotschy) Polhill.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

In the flora area, Crotalaria retusa is commonly found in subtropical Florida but much more rarely in temperate areas, where it does not persist.

(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
C. avonensis, C. incana, C. juncea, C. lanceolata, C. pallida, C. pumila, C. purshii, C. retusa, C. rotundifolia, C. sagittalis, C. spectabilis, C. trichotoma, C. verrucosa, C. virgulata
C. avonensis, C. incana, C. juncea, C. lanceolata, C. ochroleuca, C. pallida, C. pumila, C. purshii, C. rotundifolia, C. sagittalis, C. spectabilis, C. trichotoma, C. verrucosa, C. virgulata
Name authority G. Don: Gen. Hist. 2: 138. (1832) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 715. (1753)
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