Crotalaria retusa var. indica - Indian Rattleweed

Indian Rattleweed is an annual herb with erect stem, growing up to 1.3 m tall. It is closely related to Rattleweed. The most prominent difference between the two is that flowers are evenly distributed on the spike in Rattleweed, whereas they are mostly clustered towards the tip in Indian Rattleweed. Stems are ridged, velvety with short appressed hairs. Leaves are simple, inverted-lance-shaped, 3.3-9.2 cm long, 1-3.8 cm wide. Tip is rounded or occasionally pointed, but mostly with a blunt, notched tip, as the species name retusa indicated. Leaf base is wedge-shaped, with stalks up to 3 mm long. Flowers are 1.7-2.4 cm long, 13-23 in spikes at branch-ends which are 10-20 populated mostly towards the tip, 10-23 cm long. Sepals 6-7 mm long, mostly hairless. Petals are yellow with fine purple lines near base. Standard petal is 1.4-1.8 cm long, 1.7-2.5 cm wide, wings are oblong-lanceshaped, 1.3-1.5 cm long, 9-11 mm wide, keel petals short, beak twisted, margins hairy. Pods are greenish to start with, dark brown to black at maturity, 3-4 cm long, hairless. While Rattleweed is found in South-Asia to Australia, Indian Rattleweed is confined to the Western Ghats.