Crotalaria medicaginea

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Photographs by: Dr. Maulik Gadani

  • 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.