Crotalaria
Sign in to saveCrotalaria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae (subfamily Faboideae) commonly known as rattlepods. The genus includes over 700 species of herbaceous plants and shrubs. Africa is the continent with the majority of Crotalaria species (approximately 400 species), which are mainly found in damp grassland, especially in floodplains, depressions and along edges of swamps and rivers, but also in deciduous bush land, roadsides and fields. Some species of Crotalaria are grown as ornamentals. The common name rattlepod or rattlebox is derived from the fact that the seeds become loose in
Species
GENUS
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderFabales
- FamilyFabaceae
General: Crotalaria appears to be closely related to Lotononis (q.v
via GBIF · Kew POWO
Research
572 papers- Crotalaria burhia Buch. -Ham.: a comprehensive review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology.Natural product research · 2025
- Monocrotaline presence in the Crotalaria (Fabaceae) plant genus and its influence on arthropods in agroecosystems.Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia · 2022
- Endophytic Microflora of Crotalaria: Their Diversity and Role in Plant Growth Promotion.Current microbiology · 2025
- Crotalaria madurensis flavonol glycosides' antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus.AMB Express · 2024
- Crotalaria spectabilis poisoning in horses fed contaminating oats.Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology · 2021
via PubMed
Wikidata facts
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- Starr 090123-1215 Crotalaria pumila.jpg
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- taxon name
- Crotalaria
- taxon common name
- krotalarija
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Article
9 sectionsContents
- Current and potential uses
- Food and health
- Other uses
- Properties
- Toxicity
- Species
- See also
- References
- External links
Crotalaria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae (subfamily Faboideae) commonly known as rattlepods. The genus includes over 700 species of herbaceous plants and shrubs. Africa is the continent with the majority of Crotalaria species (approximately 400 species), which are mainly found in damp grassland, especially in floodplains, depressions and along edges of swamps and rivers, but also in deciduous bush land, roadsides and fields. Some species of Crotalaria are grown as ornamentals. The common name rattlepod or rattlebox is derived from the fact that the seeds become loose in the pod as they mature, and rattle when the pod is shaken. The name derives from the Ancient Greek , meaning "castanet", and is the same root as the name for the rattlesnakes (Crotalus).
Crotalaria species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Endoclita sericeus, Etiella zinckenella and Utetheisa ornatrix. The toxic alkaloids produced by some members of this genus are known to be incorporated by Utetheisia larvae and used to secure their defense from predators.