Crotalaria pallida var. obovata

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:FABACEAE
Species:Crotalaria pallida Aiton var. obovata (G. Don) Polhill
Common Name:Smooth Rattlebox
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Annual
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Smooth Rattlebox is an introduced herbaceous annual in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It is native to tropical Africa, but has been introduced in many parts of the world. In Alabama it can be found at scattered locations across the state. Smooth Rattlebox occurs around fields, on roadsides, along railroad tracks, and in other ruderal sites. It is an annual with a tap root. Stems are erect, 2-6 feet in height, branched or unbranched, green in color, and pubescent. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, and trifoliate. The leaflets are obovate in outline, entire, and pubescent below. Flowers are produced in racemes. The racemes are usually well exserted and the flowers dense along the stem. The calyx is pubescent. The corolla is papilionaceous, yellow in color, often with the veins reddish. The fruit is a slightly inflated, falcate, shortly pubescent legume. Smooth Rattlebox has a long history of cultivation as a green manure or cover crop. It contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which can damage the liver when consumed. Large doses can be toxic to birds and mammals. The toxins are slow acting and symptoms may only appear weeks or months after the animal has eaten the plant. The alkaloids are most concentrated in the seed. Smooth Rattlebox has been used in traditional medicine to treat urinary problems, skin rashes, and to reduce fevers and joint swellings.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Not Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyFABACEAE - Pea/Bean family
Genus Crotalaria
Species Crotalaria pallida Aiton var. obovata (G. Don) Polhill - Smooth Rattlebox

Citation

Citation Crotalaria pallida Aiton var. obovata (G. Don) Polhill, Kew Bull. 22(2): 265. 1968.
Basionym: Crotalaria obovata G. Don 1832.
Type: GHANA: Accra, s.d., Don s.n. (holotype: BM).

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Crotalaria falcata Crotalaria falcata Vahl ex de Candolle, Prodr. 2: 132. 1825. SENEGAL: Without data (holotype: G-DC).
Crotalaria obovata Crotalaria obovata G. Don, Gen. Hist. 2: 138. 1823. GHANA: Accra, s.d., Don s.n. (holotype: BM).
Crotalaria striata Crotalaria striata Schumacher, Beskr. Guin. Pl. 336. 1827, non de Candolle 1825. GHANA
Crotalaria brownei    
Crotalaria mucronata    

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Baldwin, Cleburne, Dale, DeKalb, Geneva, Henry, Mobile

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, JSU, TROY, UNA, USAM, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: -

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used		 Image
TROY000049772 Geneva 20 Oct 2016 Byrd, Cameron
428		 TROY
Crotalaria pallida Aiton var. obovata (G. Don) Polhill
UNA00016737 Mobile s.d. Mohr, Charles
s.n.		 UNA
Crotalaria pallida Ait.
UNA00015928 Mobile 5 Jul _ Mohr, Charles
s.n.		 UNA
Crotalaria pallida Ait.
JSU130477 DeKalb 15 May 1996 Hruska, Susan E.
17555		 JSU
Crotalaria pallida Aiton var. obovata (G. Don) Polhill
AUA000040908 Mobile 7 Oct 2012 Horne, Howard E.
1899		 AUA
Crotalaria Pallida Ait. Var. Obovata (G. Don) Polhill
UWAL0002298 Mobile 28 Oct 2008 Spaulding, Daniel D.
13087		 UWAL
Crotalaria pallida Ait. var. obovata (G. Don) Polhill
AUA000011184 Dale 20 Oct 1992 Diamond, Alvin R.
8490		 AUA
Crotalaria Pallida Ait.
UWAL0036584 Baldwin 08 Oct 2017 Horne, Howard E.
4301		 UWAL
Crotalaria pallida Aiton var. obovata (G. Don) Polhill
USAM000006284 Mobile 01 Sep 1981 LeLong, Michel G.
12262		 USAM
Crotalaria pallida Aiton var. obovata (G. Don) Polhill
TROY000044460 Mobile 28 Oct 2008 Spaulding, Daniel D.
13087		 TROY
Crotalaria pallida Aiton var. obovata (G.Don) Polhill
UWAL0043949 Baldwin 03 Sep 2009 Larsen, Harry S.
1678		 UWAL
Crotalaria pallida var. obovata (G. Don) Polhill
JSU130476 Cleburne 17 May 1985 Whetstone, R. David
15016		 JSU
Crotalaria pallida Aiton var. obovata (G. Don) Polhill
TROY000004978 Henry 11 Sep 2005 Diamond, Alvin R.
15750		 TROY
Crotalaria pallida Aiton
ALNHS00001284 Baldwin 24 Jul 2012 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#666		 ALNHS
Crotalaria pallida Ait. var. obovata (G. Don) Polhill
UNA00065792 Henry 11 Sep 2005 Diamond, Alvin R.
15750		 UNA
Crotalaria pallida Ait.
AUA000025237 Mobile 28 Oct 2008 Spaulding, Daniel D.
13087		 AUA
Crotalaria Pallida Ait. Var. Obovata (G. Don) Polhill
UNA00015929 Mobile _ Oct 1888 Mohr, Charles
s.n.		 UNA
Crotalaria pallida Ait.
USAM000006283 Mobile 01 Sep 1981 LeLong, Michel G.
12262		 USAM
Crotalaria pallida Aiton var. obovata (G. Don) Polhill
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