No images found for this plant ID: 12473.
Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "12473" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.
Crotalaria medicaginea
Scientific Name: Crotalaria medicaginea
Family: Fabaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth:
Duration:
Other Names:
Crotalaria medicaginea
Also known as Trefoil Rattlepod, Medick Rattlepod, or referred to as "jia mu xu" in Chinese, Crotalaria medicaginea is a fascinating plant with a range of interesting properties.
Considerations for Pets
- Crotalaria medicaginea has been implicated in horse poisoning in grazing regions.
- The plant contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which have a cumulative effect upon the body.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Crotalaria medicaginea Lam.
- Family: Fabaceae (also known as Leguminosae) - the pea family, subfamily Papilionoideae
- Synonyms:
- Crotalaria procumbens Roxb.
- Crotalaria virgata C.Mart.
- Varieties:
- Crotalaria medicaginea var. australiensis Domin
- Crotalaria medicaginea var. herniarioides (Wight & Arn.) Baker
- Crotalaria medicaginea var. luxurians (Benth.)
- Crotalaria medicaginea var. medicaginea Lam.
- Crotalaria medicaginea var. neglecta (Wight & Arn.) Baker
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to Western Australia.
- Common on dry sandy soils of Asia and Africa.
Morphology and Growth Habits
- Herbaceous plant or woody shrub, prostrate to erect, reaching up to 1 meter in height.
- Stems are slender and branched.
- Leaves are trifoliolate (three leaflets), each leaflet having a notch at the apex. Leaflets up to 2 cm long.
- Pods are less than 1 cm long and contain only 1-2 seeds.
- Described as Divaricately branched, pubescent herbs.
Interactions with Other Organisms
- Two potential allelochemicals have been isolated from methanolic extract of the stems.
Resources and Further Information
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K) Herbarium.
- Queensland Herbarium.
- Discover Life.