Crotalaria spectabilis | |
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Habit | |
Close-up of flower | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Faboideae |
Genus: | Crotalaria |
Species: | C. spectabilis
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Binomial name | |
Crotalaria spectabilis | |
Synonyms[1] | |
List
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Crotalaria spectabilis, the showy rattlebox or showy rattlepod, is a species of flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae. It is native to the Indian Subcontinent, southern China, and Southeast Asia.[1] It is a perennial herb that grows up to 0.6–1.5 m (24–59 in) tall.[2] It grows in montane grasslands.[2] It was introduced (originally as a green manure) to most of the world's tropics and subtropics and is now a serious agricultural pest species.[3] It is toxic to livestock, causing liver damage.[4]