Crotalaria spectabilis

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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 spectabilis Roth
Common Name:Showy Rattlebox
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Annual
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Showy Rattlebox is an introduced herbaceous annual in the Bean Family (Fabaceae). It is native to Southeast Asia (Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia), but is widely naturalized around the world. Showy Rattlebox occurs throughout Alabama, but is most common in the southern half of the state. It occurs around old home sites, in pastures and fields, on roadsides, and in disturbed forests. It is an annual with a tap root. Stems are 2-5 feet in height, branched above the middle, green in color, glabrous, and often glaucous. The leaves are alternate, petiolate, oblanceolate to elliptic in outline, glabrous above and pubescent or glabrous below, and often glaucous. Flowers are produced in terminal racemes. Each raceme has 20-30 papilionaceous flowers. The flowers are bright lemon yellow in color with red-purple veins at the base of the standard petal. The fruit is an inflated legume with 10-25 seed. As the fruit ages, the seed detach within the inflated legume, making it rattle when moved. Showy Rattlebox has been planted as an ornamental and for erosion control. All parts of the plant contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and are toxic if consumed in quantity. It is often responsible for livestock poisonings in south Alabama. Interestingly, the plant is also toxic to nematodes, and has been used as a cover crop in rotations to reduce the presence of nematodes. Showy Rattlebox is easily grown from seed. It prefers a well-draining, sandy soil in full sun. It reseeds readily and responds well to soil disturbance or fire.--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 spectabilis Roth - Showy Rattlebox

Citation

Citation Crotalaria spectabilis Roth, Nov. Pl. Sp. 341–342. 1821.
Basionym: **
Type: INDIA

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Crotalaria retzii Crotalaria retzii Hitchcock, Annual Rep. Missouri Bot. Gard. 4: 74. 1893.Crotalaria sericea Retzius 1788, non Burman f. 1768. 
Crotalaria sericea Crotalaria sericea Retzius, Observ. Bot. 5: 26. 1788 ("1789"), non Burman f. 1768. INDIA: Without data, Koenig s.n. (holotype: LD).
Crotalaria leschenaultii Crotalaria leschenaultii de Candolle, Prodr. 2: 125. 1825. INDIA: Mts. de Nellygarry, s.d., Leschenault s.n. (holotype: G).
Crotalaria macrophylla Crotalaria macrophylla Weinmann, in Schrank, Syll. Pl. Nov. 2: 26. 1828, non Willdenow 1802.  

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: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Chambers, Cherokee, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, DeKalb, Elmore, Etowah, Geneva, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jefferson, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Randolph, Russell, St. Clair, Tuscaloosa, Washington, Wilcox, Winston

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

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

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1958 - 1972

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used		 Image
AUA000011289 Conecuh 17 Aug 1985 Diamond, Alvin R.
1524		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000011302 Henry 13 Aug 1981 Rickerl, D.
192		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
TROY000018960 Covington 02 Aug 2008 Diamond, Alvin R.
19683		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011293 Crenshaw 7 Aug 1995 Diamond, Alvin R.
9808		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UNA00016578 Hale 09 Jul 1966 Williams, Norris H.
339		 UNA
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
UNA00016574 Tuscaloosa 06 Nov 1958 Patton, E.G.
s.n.		 UNA
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
USAM000006292 Mobile 25 Oct 1973 LeLong, Michel G.
7393		 USAM
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011319 Monroe 13 Oct 1981 Henderson, T.
745		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
TROY000005017 Pike 17 Oct 2000 Green, Clint
9		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011283 Baldwin 10 Sep 1970 Moore, Harold D.
1060		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UWAL0006809 Coffee 06 Oct 2008 Dyess, Kaleb K.
82		 UWAL
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
JSU130830 Randolph 19 Aug 1986 Nixon, Christopher F.
2818		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011317 Mobile 9 Sep 1970 Moore, Harold D.
1038		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000011306 Lee 15 Aug 1969 Simonds, E.P.
133		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
TROY000005007 Coffee 05 Nov 2000 Cobb, Sabrina
7		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
JSU130823 Etowah 24 Sep 1995 Hodge-Spaulding, Lesley M.
4377		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
TROY000044194 Montgomery 11 Sep 2016 Diamond, Alvin R.
27666		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
JSU130829 Monroe 12 Sep 1997 Whetstone, R. David
18468		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011290 Conecuh 3 Aug 1969 Weaver, Jimmy
115		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
USAM000006294 Mobile 10 Aug 1970 Luster, Vaughn D. Jr.
s.n.		 USAM
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011321 Montgomery 15 Jul 1969 Owens, James R.
 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UWAL0012549 Jefferson 11 Aug 2012 Spaulding, Daniel D.
13543		 UWAL
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
TROY000005004 Coffee 27 Sep 2003 Thomas, Stephanie
2		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011322 Pike 10 Sep 1994 Diamond, Alvin R.
9370		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000011295 Crenshaw 9 Sep 2004 Hansen, Curtis J.
1647		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
ALNHS00000140 Mobile 03 Oct 1998 Spaulding, Daniel D.
10428		 ALNHS
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
JSU130816 Baldwin 1 Sep 1997 Brodeur, Kristin R.
67		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011284 Butler 20 Aug 1970 Moore, Harold D.
781		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000011301 Hale 8 Sep 1970 Moore, Harold D.
899		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000011281 Autauga 27 Sep 1975 Dupree, W.G.
035		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UNA00061403 Hale 07 Sep 1962 Thomas, Joab L.
688		 UNA
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
UNA00057628 Crenshaw 25 Aug 2001 Diamond, Alvin R.
12629		 UNA
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
JSU130832 Washington 16 Aug 1993 Ballard, J. Mark
3224		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000037459 Pike 21 Oct 2016 Taylor, Chris T.
SP2827		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000011285 Chambers 13 Sep 2000 Hansen, Curtis J.
2000-63		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UWAL0006810 Marengo 24 Sep 2008 England, J. Kevin
1210		 UWAL
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
TROY000020019 Henry 24 Jul 2008 Dyess, Kaleb K.
38		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
JSU130825 Marshall 28 Sep 1994 Spaulding, Daniel D.
6758		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011243 Barbour 18 Oct 2001 Gil, Glenda
(2001-12)		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UWAL0039849 Montgomery 11 Sep 2016 Diamond, Alvin R.
27666		 UWAL
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011311 Lowndes 10 Sep 1970 Moore, Harold D.
1139		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
TROY000005012 Crenshaw 01 Nov 2003 Sasser, Telenna
27		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011300 Geneva 30 Jul 1970 Moore, Harold D.
524		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UNA00016575 Mobile 24 Sep 1966 Deramus, Rebecca
D1014		 UNA
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
JSU130824 Lee 27 Sep 1973 Wright, D.
12		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
UWAL0006811 Pike 03 Nov 2009 Weed, Tabitha
10		 UWAL
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
TROY000005018 Russell 12 Sep 2004 Spaulding, Daniel D.
12161		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000028961 Covington 22 Oct 2009 Hansen, Curtis J.
4564		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000011305 Lee 3 Oct 1971 Landers, Susan
063		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UNA00016579 Hale 09 Jul 1966 Williams, Norris H.
339		 UNA
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011303 Henry 29 Jul 1971 Guthrie, C.D.
129		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000011307 Lee 20 Jul 1966 Rogers, Kenneth
 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
TROY000005015 Monroe 31 Oct 2006 Diamond, Alvin R.
17196		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
SAMF0001884 Cherokee 03 Sep 2013 Davenport, Lawrence J.
5567		 SAMF
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
TROY000005014 Crenshaw 25 Aug 2001 Diamond, Alvin R.
12629		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011297 Dale 20 Sep 1992 Diamond, Alvin R.
8463		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000011288 Clarke 8 Sep 1971 Henley, Nancy S.
040		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
TROY000005006 Coffee 01 Oct 1999 Martin, Brian H.
262		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011320 Monroe 10 Sep 1970 Moore, Harold D.
1109		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UWAL0016018 Pike 31 Oct 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
23541		 UWAL
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011298 Elmore 30 Sep 1980 Bozeman, L.L.
037		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000011291 Covington 6 Aug 1972 Nelson, John
165		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000024558 Russell 12 Sep 2004 Spaulding, Daniel D.
12161		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
TROY000005016 Pike 06 Sep 2000 Cole, Anthony
15		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
JSU130833 Winston 18 Sep 1994 Spaulding, Daniel D.
6434		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
TROY000005010 Covington 14 Nov 2000 Meadows, Leigh Ann
9		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011286 Chambers 13 Sep 2000 Hansen, Curtis J.
2000-63		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UWAL0007851 Pike 30 Sep 2010 Mahan, Jordan
10		 UWAL
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
TROY000005011 Covington 30 Sep 2002 Munn, Heather
2		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
JSU130820 Cherokee 12 Sep 1986 Whetstone, R. David
15659		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011323 Pike 12 Oct 1975 Wallace, Chip
059		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
JSU130827 Mobile 3 Oct 1998 Spaulding, Daniel D.
10428		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011244 Barbour 18 Oct 2001 Gil, Glenda
(2001-13)		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UNA00073039 Houston 05 Nov 2015 Barger, T. Wayne
DTP-245		 UNA
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
USAM000006293 Mobile 18 Aug 1967 LeLong, Michel G.
3597		 USAM
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011294 Crenshaw 17 Aug 1970 Moore, Harold D.
623		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000011282 Autauga 7 Jul 1970 Moore, Harold D.
187		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000011310 Lee 16 Jul 1963 Anonymous
 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UNA00008744 Lee 09 Aug 1972 Bloodworth, N.B.
164		 UNA
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000041452 Covington 23 Jul 2013 Hansen, Curtis J.
5802		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
JSU130821 Choctaw 13 Sep 1997 Higginbotham, Jerri W.
323		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011316 Mobile 18 Oct 1972 Pringle, Gary
044		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UWAL0042963 Baldwin 31 Jul 2002 Nation, N. Fred
1072		 UWAL
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
TROY000005009 Coffee 08 Sep 2002 Walters, Olivia
3		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
JSU130828 Monroe 12 Sep 1997 Whetstone, R. David
18468		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011318 Monroe 19 Oct 1980 Webb, A.L.
143		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UWAL0012550 Jefferson 11 Aug 2012 Spaulding, Daniel D.
13543		 UWAL
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011296 Crenshaw 9 Sep 2004 Hansen, Curtis J.
1647		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
TROY000029861 Covington 17 Oct 2004 Faulker, Leah R.J.
9		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
JSU130818 Clarke 13 Sep 1997 Whetstone, R. David
18749		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011312 Lowndes 20 Aug 1970 Moore, Harold D.
787		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
JSU130822 DeKalb 1 Sep 1982 Black, Randall
s.n.		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011287 Choctaw 8 Sep 1970 Moore, Harold D.
973		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000011309 Lee 9 Aug 1960 Jones, Jr., Samuel B.
208		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
TROY000018958 Covington 10 Oct 2008 Carter, Andrew
6		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
UNA00069803 Henry 24 Jul 2008 Dyess, Kaleb K.
38		 UNA
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011314 Macon 21 Sep 1972 Hagan, Patrick D.
022		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000011308 Lee 20 Jul 1966 Rogers, Kenneth
 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
TROY000018959 Barbour 17 Jul 2008 Dyess, Kaleb K.
7		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011326 St. Clair 30 Aug 1971 Little, Jackie A.
002		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UNA00016577 Hale 25 Sep 1965 Williams, Norris H.
136		 UNA
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
SAMF0001702 Jefferson 14 Oct 1982 Davenport, Lawrence J.
2334		 SAMF
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
TROY000028491 Marengo 24 Sep 2008 England, J. Kevin
1210		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011245 Barbour 13 Aug 2002 Gil, Glenda
(2001-337)		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UWAL0008271 Butler 12 Jul 2011 Diamond, Alvin R.
22347		 UWAL
Crotolaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011328 Wilcox 10 Sep 1970 Moore, Harold D.
1123		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
TROY000005008 Coffee 14 Nov 2000 Daniels, Mark
7		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011325 Russell 29 Jul 1970 Moore, Harold D.
394		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UWAL0018812 Monroe 16 Oct 1996 Kral, Robert
86958		 UWAL
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth.
JSU130819 Cherokee 31 Oct 1993 Ballard, J. Mark
1121		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011324 Russell 12 Aug 1971 Strait, Dan B.
177		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
TROY000032386 Butler 12 Jul 2011 Diamond, Alvin R.
22347		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
JSU130826 Marshall 2 Oct 1992 Spaulding, Daniel D.
3173		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
TROY000033346 Barbour 08 Oct 2011 Morrison, Derek
142		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
JSU130817 Blount 15 Sep 1996 Spaulding, Daniel D.
9148		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011313 Macon 10 Oct 1971 Reyher, Gordon K.
022		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UNA00060477 Mobile 25 Dec 2002 Zebryk, Tad M.
8153		 UNA
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011299 Geneva 6 Oct 1989 Diamond, Alvin R.
6500		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UWAL0044275 Baldwin 14 Mar 2000 Larsen, Harry S.
515		 UWAL
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
UWAL0042496 Bullock 28 Aug 2017 Horne, Howard E.
4169		 UWAL
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011304 Houston 31 Oct 1980 Haynes, Gretchen
049		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
TROY000005005 Coffee 14 Oct 2003 Fowler, J.R.
4		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011315 Macon 18 Jul 1970 Cox, W.A.
043		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
UWAL0016880 Cherokee 03 Sep 2013 Davenport, L.J.
5567		 UWAL
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
JSU130831 Randolph 19 Aug 1986 Nixon, Christopher F.
2818		 JSU
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
AUA000011327 Washington 9 Sep 1970 Moore, Harold D.
1015		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
AUA000011292 Covington 23 Nov 1972 Kelley, B.L.
148		 AUA
Crotalaria Spectabilis Roth
TROY000005013 Crenshaw 01 Nov 2003 Cho, Y.Y.
1		 TROY
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
SAMF0001701 Houston 07 Aug 2010 Davenport, Lawrence J.
4469		 SAMF
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
UNA00065432 Russell 12 Sep 2004 Spaulding, Daniel D.
12161		 UNA
Crotalaria spectabilis Roth
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