Flora of North America species comparison

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Crotalaria spectabilis

rattlebox, showy crotalaria, showy rattlebox
Habit Herbs annual.
Stems

suffrutescent basally, erect, 50–150 cm, glabrous.
Leaves

unifoliolate;

stipules ovate to ovate-lanceolate, not decurrent on stem, 4–7 mm;

blade obovate to elliptic, 50–150 mm, length 1.5–2.5 times width, surfaces glaucous, strigose abaxially, glabrous-punctate adaxially.
Racemes

12–22-flowered, terminal, subterminal, or lateral, 10–50 cm;

bracts persistent, cordate-auriculate, 5–8 mm.
Flowers

calyx broadly cylindrical, 10–15 mm, lobes triangular-lanceolate, glabrous;

corolla bright yellow, faintly red-lined, 17–25 mm.
Legumes

30–45 × 10–20 mm, glabrous.
2n

= 16.

Crotalaria spectabilis
Phenology Flowering (Jan–)Aug–Oct (year-round).
Habitat Grassy or fallow fields, roadsides, ditches, borrow pits, lake edges, disturbed areas.
Elevation 10–200 m. [30–700 ft.]
Distribution
map from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; IL; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; SC; TN; TX; VA; Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Indian Ocean Islands (Reúnion), Pacific Islands]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In Texas, Crotalaria spectabilis is known from Brazos, Cameron, Karnes, and Liberty counties.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Crotalaria
Sibling taxa
C. avonensis, C. incana, C. juncea, C. lanceolata, C. ochroleuca, C. pallida, C. pumila, C. purshii, C. retusa, C. rotundifolia, C. sagittalis, C. trichotoma, C. verrucosa, C. virgulata
Synonyms C. retzii
Name authority Roth: Nov. Pl. Sp., 341. (1821)
Source FNA vol. 11. Treatment author: Guy L. Nesom.
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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