Crotalaria incana L.

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.

  • Family

    Fabaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Crotalaria incana L.

  • Description

    Species Description - Erect subshrub, 30-70 cm tall, many-branched from base or branched only distally; branches pilose when young. Leaves trifoliolate; leaflets 1.5-5 x 0.9-4 cm, obovate to elliptic, chartaceous, lower surface with minute, appressed hairs, the apex mucronulate, rounded, the base cuneate to obtuse, the margins entire; petioles 2-5 cm long; stipules early deciduous. Pseudoracemes 5- 15 cm long, terminal, sparsely flowered; bracts minute, early deciduous. Flowers hanging; calyx 7-9 mm long, pubescent; corolla yellow, the standard nearly obovate, 10-13 mm long, the keel incurved, as long as the standard, the wings shorter than the standard. Legume 2-3.5 x 0.7-1 cm, hanging, oblong, pubescent, slightly inflated, impressed along both sutures, dehiscent, tan-colored. Seeds numerous, ca. 2 mm wide, kidney-shaped to cordate, reddish brown, shiny.

  • Discussion

    Common name: rattle bush.

  • Distribution

    A common weed of open disturbed areas. Coral Bay (A4244), Maho Bay Quarter along Center Line Road (A1853). Also on St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda; widespread throughout the tropics.

    Virgin Gorda Virgin Islands South America| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America|