Species
Crotalaria lunata
Common Name(s)
rattlepod
Authority
Crotalaria lunata Bedd. ex Polhill
Family
Fabaceae
Flora Category
Vascular - Exotic
Structural Class
Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs
Features
Erect shrub or small tree, 2-5 m high; stems densely pubescent, often glabrescent. Leaves simple, ovate or elliptic, 60-130 x 33-80 mm wide, upper surface glabrous, lower surface densely greyish pubescent; petiole 10-20 mm long; stipules leafy c.10 mm long. Racemes c.150 mm long; pedicels c.15 mm long. Calyx c. 15 mm long, pubescent. Corolla 25-30 mm long, yellow with red-brown striations, wings + longer than keel; keel incurved at middle, beak c.15 mm long, twisted at apex.
Pod 50-70 mm long, glabrous; seeds c.5 mm long, glossy, minutely papillose.
Flowering
August - December
Flower Colours
Red / Pink,Yellow
Fruiting
Pods present throughout the year
Year Naturalised
2007
Origin
India - see http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=gn&name=Crotalaria
This page last updated on 26 Jul 2014