Crotalaria retusa

Crotalaria retusa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Crotalaria
Species: C. retusa
Binomial name
Crotalaria retusa
L.
Synonyms[1]
  • Crotalaria cuneifolia (Forssk.) "Schrank"
  • Crotalaria cuneifolia Raf.
  • Crotalaria hostmannii Steud.
  • Crotalaria retusifolia Stokes
  • Dolichos cuneifolius Forssk.
  • Lupinus cochinchinensis Lour.

Crotalaria retusa is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by various common names including devil-bean,[2] rattleweed,[3] shack shack,[4] and wedge-leaf rattlepod.[2] It is poisonous to livestock, and contaminates human food. Its original native range is unclear, probably including tropical Asia, Africa and Australia.[5] It has been introduced as a crop plant in many tropical areas and has escaped from cultivation to become a troublesome weed; it is listed as a noxious weed in several US states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and is listed as an invasive weed in India, Cuba, and Cocos Island.[5] Unlike some other species of Crotalaria, it is an annual plant.

Uses

Crotalaria retusa is grown as a fibre crop and as green manure. It is also used as a forage plant,[5] but is poisonous to livestock.[6]

Toxins

The primary source of toxicity for many species of Crotalaria is the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are poisonous to birds and large mammals. Crotalaria retusa seeds are some of the most toxic of Crotalaria species.[7] Pyrrolizidine alkaloids in honey are a threat to human health.[8]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Crotalaria retusa.
  1. ↑ The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, retrieved 20 January 2016
  2. 1 2 USDA GRIN Taxonomy, retrieved 20 January 2016
  3. ↑ "Crotalaria retusa". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  4. ↑ Wagstaff, D.J. (2008), International Poisonous Plants Checklist: An Evidence-Based Reference, Taylor & Francis, p. 109, ISBN 9781420062533
  5. 1 2 3 Invasive Species Compendium, retrieved 20 January 2016
  6. ↑ "Crotalaria retusa Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 715. 1753", Flora of China @ efloras.org, efloras.org, retrieved 20 January 2016
  7. ↑ Williams, MC; Molyneux, RJ (1987), "Occurrence, Concentration, and Toxicity of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Crotalaria Seeds", Weed Science, 35 (4): 476–481, JSTOR 4044515
  8. ↑ Morris, J.G.; Potter, M. (2013), Foodborne Infections and Intoxications, Elsevier Science, ISBN 9780123914767


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