Crotalaria medicaginea

• Botanical Name : Crotalaria medicaginea Lam.
• Synonyms : Crotalaria foliosa Wild.
• Common Name : Adbaumethi, Ranmethi, Medick Rattlepod
• Plant Family : Papilionaceae
• Plant Form : Herb
• Occurrence (Sectors) : 1, 5, 6, 8, 10-13, 15-17, 19, 20, 22, 26, 27, 29, 30
• Occurrence (Special Areas) : Gujarat Forestry Research Foundation, Indroda Park, Punit Van, Sarita Udyan, Van Chetana Kendra

About Crotalaria medicaginea Plant :

• Habit : A small annual herb, with branched tap root system.
• Stem : Erect, cylindrical, branched, herbaceous, hairy, green.
• Leaves : Ramal and cauline, alternate, petiolate, stipulate, palmately compound, trifoliate, obovate, margin entire, apex emarginated, multicostate reticulate.
• Inflorescence : Racemose raceme.
• Flowers :
  • Bracteate, ebracteolate, pedicellate, complete, hermaphrodite, zygomorphic, pentamerous, perigynous.
  • Calyx made up of 5 sepals, gamosepalous, valvate.
  • Corolla made up of 5 petals, polypetalous, papilionaceous, vexillary aestivation.
  • Androecium of 10 stamens, monadelphous, dithecous, dorsifixed, introrse.
  • Gynoecium monocarpellary, semi-inferior, unilocular, many ovules, marginal placentation, style long, stigma capitate.
• Fruit : Legume
• Seeds : Compressed, smooth, glabrous, dark-brown, subreniform.
• Flowering and Fruiting Time : August-February
• Significance : It is used as fodder in India.