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| Crotalaria | ||||||||||||
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 A poisonous, Invasive species Hemingway, South Carolina
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| Crotalaria spectabilis |
Some species of Crotalaria are grown as ornamentals. Crotalaria spectabilis was introduced to the USA from India for green manure. As a legume which supports nitrogen fixing bacteria, it is considered a "soil builder," But it is also poisonous to cattle, and has spread rapidly thoughout the Southeastern United States. In is now considered an invasive species.
The common name rattlebox is derived from the seeds which become loose in the pod as they mature.