FoI
Showy Rattlepod
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Showy Rattlepod
ative elliptic Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: Showy Rattlepod, Greater rattlepod, Showy crotalaria, Showy rattlebox • Hindi: सन्नी Sanni, घुंगरी Ghungri, धुनधुनी Dhundhuni, झुनझुनिया Jhunjhunia • Marathi: डिंगळा dingala, खुळखुळा khulkhula • Kannada: Kaadu senabu • Bengali: Pipuli jhunjhun • Mizo: Tumthang
Botanical name: Crotalaria spectabilis    Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)
Synonyms: Crotalaria sericea, Crotalaria leschenenaulti

Showy Rattlepod is a perennial shrub, 1-1.5 m tall. It sports many branches covered with velvety hairs. Oblong leaves are 4-9 cm long, with a wedge-shaped base. Numerous large yellow flowers occur in erect racemes, 15-30 cm long, at the end of branches. Flowers are 2.5 cm across, bright yellow, with purple tinge. The "standard" petal is circular. The flower differs from Crotalaria retusa in its large bracts and hairless sepal tube. It is also found in the Western Ghats and lower Himalayas, at altitudes of 100-1500 m. Flowering: October-March.

Identification credit: J.M. Garg Photographed in Imphal, Manipur.

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