Taxon:  Crotalaria retusa L.



Summary
Genus:
Crotalaria
Family:
Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)
Subfamily:
Faboideae
Tribe:
Crotalarieae
Nomen number:
12374
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 2:715.  1753
Verified:
12/22/2004 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
37 (10  active, 10  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Crotalaria retusa L. var. retusa (0 active accession[s])
Crotalaria retusa L. var. tunguensis (Pires de Lima) Polhill (0 active accession[s])
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)
Seed

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1960-. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam.
  3. Bernal M., H. Y. 1986. Crotalaria (Fabaceae - Faboideae). In: Pinto, P. & P. M. Ruiz, eds., Flora de Colombia. 4:85.
  4. Du Puy, D. J. et al. 2002. The Leguminosae of Madagascar
  5. Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
  6. Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
  7. Hacker, J. B. 1990. A guide to herbaceous and shrub legumes of Queensland University of Queensland Press, St. Lucia, Australia.
  8. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  9. Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
  10. Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
  11. Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
  12. Kellerman, T. S. et al. 1988. Plant poisonings and mycotoxicoses of livestock in Southern Africa Note: poisonous
  13. Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
  14. Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
  15. Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants Note: poisonous
  16. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
  17. Liogier, H. A. 1981-. Flora of Hispaniola: Part 1; La Flora de la Española. Part II-.
  18. Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
  19. Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
  20. Lock, J. M. & K. Simpson. 1991. Legumes of West Asia: a checklist
  21. Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
  22. Macbride, J. F. et al., eds. 1936-. Flora of Peru Note: 1936-1971; new ser. 1980-
  23. Matos G., F. 1978. El género Crotalaria en Venezuela. Acta Bot. Venez. 13:92.
  24. Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
  25. Niyomdham, C. 1978. A revision of the genus Crotalaria Linn. (Papilionaceae) in Thailand. Thai Forest Bull., Bot. 11:151.
  26. Polhill, R. M. 1982. Crotalaria in Africa and Madagascar 272-273.
  27. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  28. Pulle, A. A. et al., eds. 1932-. Flora of Suriname.
  29. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  30. Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala.
  31. Steyermark, J. A. et al., eds. 1995-. Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Note: Missouri Botanical Garden & Timber Press
  32. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
  33. Uphof, J. C. T. 1968. Dictionary of economic plants, ed. 2.
  34. Verdcourt, B. 1979. A manual of New Guinea legumes.
  35. Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
  36. Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama.
  37. Yang, C. Y. 1983. On the problems of the classification of Crotalaria in China. Bull. Bot. Res., Harbin 3(4):106.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishdevil-bean  1Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Englishrattlebox  1Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
Englishwedge-leaf crotalaria  1Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Englishwedge-leaf rattlepod  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Spanishcascabel fétido  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaKenya  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSomalia  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMozambique  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGambia  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGhana  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaLiberia  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaMali  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNigeria  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSenegal  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSierra Leone  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaGabon  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAfricaWestern Indian OceanMadagascar  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaOman   
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaSaudi Arabia   
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaYemen  Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaGuangdong Sheng  
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaHainan Sheng  
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIran   
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentBangladesh  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentBhutan  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaAndhra Pradesh Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaArunachal Pradesh Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaAssam Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaBihar Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaDadra and Nagar Haveli Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaDelhi Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaGoa Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaGujarat Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaHaryana Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaHimachal Pradesh Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaJammu and Kashmir Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaKarnataka Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaKerala Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaMadhya Pradesh Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaMaharashtra Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaManipur Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaMeghalaya Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaMizoram Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaNagaland Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaOdisha Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaPuducherry Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaPunjab Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaRajasthan Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaSikkim Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaTamil Nadu Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaTripura Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaUttar Pradesh Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndiaWest Bengal Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentNepal  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentPakistan  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentSri Lanka  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaCambodia  Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaLaos  Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaMyanmar  Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaThailand  Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaVietnam  Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaBrunei Darussalam  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaIndonesia  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaMalaysia  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaPhilippines  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaSingapore  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalPapuasiaPapua New Guinea  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaNorthern Territory Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaQueensland Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaWestern Australia Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
4Naturalized    widely natzd. in tropics 
6Other    exact native range obscure 
Native
Africa
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Somalia
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  • WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Gabon
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ghana, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Mozambique
  • WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Madagascar
Asia-Temperate
  • ARABIAN PENINSULA: Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen
  • WESTERN ASIA: Iran
  • CHINA: China [Guangdong Sheng, Hainan Sheng]
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India [Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal], Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan
  • PAPUASIA: Papua New Guinea
  • INDO-CHINA: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
  • MALESIA: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia [Queensland, Western Australia, Northern Territory]
Naturalized (widely natzd. in tropics)
Other (exact native range obscure)

Reference(s)
  1. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  2. Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
  3. Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
  4. Lock, J. M. & J. Heald. 1994. Legumes of Indochina: a checklist
  5. Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
  6. Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalerosion controlcover cropLock, J. M. & K. Simpson. 1991. Legumes of West Asia: a checklist
Materialsfiber Uphof, J. C. T. 1968. Dictionary of economic plants, ed. 2.
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Kellerman, T. S. et al. 1988. Plant poisonings and mycotoxicoses of livestock in Southern Africa Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants Note: poisonous
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=12374. Accessed 22 October 2026.