Crotalaria verrucosa commonly known as blue rattlepod is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. This shrub belongs to the sub family Faboideae. The plant is native to Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam; Australasia and Africa & Americas regions. Sweet Pea, Warty Crotalaria, Tooth-Leaved Rattlepod, Blue-Flowered Rattlepod, Blue Rattlepod, Blue Rattlesnake, Warty Rattlebox, Blue Rattleweed, blue-flowered crotalaria, purple popbush, shack-shack, tooth-leaf rattlepod, Blue Andana, Purple Rattlebox, Warted Crotalaria, Blue Rattle-box and Cascavelle á Fleurs Bleues are few of the popular common names of the plant.

Plant Description

Blue rattlepod is an erect or spreading, much-branched, annual, sub-woody plant that grows about 50 to 100 cm in height. The plant is found growing in fallow fields, marshy ground, along rivers, roads, Grassland, sparse forests, edges, open places in dry evergreen and deciduous forests. Stem is 4-angled, sulcate, shortly appressed or spreading pubescent. Twigs are 3 or 4 winged. Stipules are foliaceous, falcate, about 12-38 mm long and 13-31 mm wide, apex acuminate. Leaf blades are about 6.5-15 cm long and 3.5-5.5 cm wide, petioles are about 0.4-1 cm long, upper and lower surfaces are clothed in short white hairs. Lateral veins are about 7-13 on each side of the midrib.

Flowers

Flowers are subtended by narrow lanceolate, about 9 mm long, bracts, apex inflated and hooked. Flowers about 16-18 x 23 mm. Calyx tube is about 3-4 mm long, lobes about 6 mm long. Stamens ten, filaments fused into a tube about 6-7 mm long, open on one side. Petals: standard about 16 x 12 mm, wings about 12-15 mm long, keel about 12-15 mm long. Stamens dimorphic, the longer filaments with small anthers about 0.8 x 0.8 mm and the shorter filaments with longer anthers about 4 x 1 mm. Ovary densely clothed in white hairs. Style about 8-9 mm, hairy towards the apex. Flowering normally takes place from November.

Fruit

Fertile flowers are followed by cylindrical pods, about 50-80 mm long and 10-16 mm wide, hairy, grooved on one side. Seeds are about 28-32 per fruit. Outer surface of the seeds and the inner surface of the pod are oily. Radicle is adjacent to the cotyledons.

Traditional uses and benefits of Blue Rattlepod

• Leaf paste is applied to cure headaches.
• The roots are used as a treatment against fever and stomach pains.
• The plant is blood purifier, emmenogogue. It is used to purify the blood and to cure skin diseases.
• Roots are used against fever and stomach pain.
• The leaves are expectorant and emetic; cure biliousness, dyspepsia, fever, throat and mouth diseases and heart complaints.
• It is used both internally and externally for scabies and impetigo and in diminishing salivation.
• Leaf extract is applied to soothe skin allergies.

References:

https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=501811#null

http://www.hear.org/pier/species/crotalaria_verrucosa.htm

https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=12396

https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/229374

https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10932824

https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Crotalaria_verrucosa

https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=CRVE5

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crotalaria_verrucosa

http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:489042-1

http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Crotalaria+verrucosa

https://uses.plantnet-project.org/en/Crotalaria_verrucosa_(PROSEA)

http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Crotalaria%20verrucosa

http://www.canbr.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/RFK7/key/RFK7/Media/Html/entities/Crotalaria_verrucosa.htm

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Blue rattlepod Quick Facts
Name:	Blue rattlepod
Scientific Name:	Crotalaria verrucosa
Origin	Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam
Colors	Yellowish to brownish
Shapes	Oblong pod, 3–4 cm long, 9–12 mm thick, apressed pubescent or with spreading brown hairs
Taste	Bitter, astringent, sour
Health benefits	Beneficial for headaches, fever, stomach pains, dyspepsia, throat, mouth diseases, heart complaints, scabies, impetigo

Name	Blue Rattlepod
Scientific Name	Crotalaria verrucosa
Native	Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Australasia and Africa & Americas regions
Common Names	Sweet Pea, Warty Crotalaria, Tooth-Leaved Rattlepod, Blue-Flowered Rattlepod, Blue Rattlepod, Blue Rattlesnake, Warty Rattlebox, Blue Rattleweed, blue-flowered crotalaria, purple popbush, shack-shack, tooth-leaf rattlepod, Blue Andana, Purple Rattlebox, Warted Crotalaria, Blue Rattle-box, Cascavelle á Fleurs Bleues
Name in Other Languages	Bengali:  Bansana (বনশণ), Naśaṇa (নশণ) Cambodia: voë(lli) châ:ng, khnâ:ng prâmat, châ:ngkrâ:ng tma:t Chinese:  Dà yè yě bǎi hé (大 葉野百合),    Duō yóu zhū shǐ dòu (多疣猪屎豆) English:  Blue-flowered crotalaria, Blue-flowered rattlepod,  Blue rattlesnake, Blue rattleweed, Purple pupbush, Purple rattlebox, Shack-shack, Sweet pea, Tooth-leaved rattlepod, Warty crotalaria, Warty rattlebox, blue-flower rattlepod, tooth-leaf rattlepod, blue andana, warted Croralaria, Blue-flower rattlepod, blue andana, French: Cascavelle bleue, Cascavelle à fleurs bleues, Crotalaire à fleurs bleues, Pois-zombi, Sonnette bleue, Tcha-tcha bleu, Cascavelle Bleu, Cascavelle a Fleurs Blanches, Gujarati:  Ghugharo (ઘૂઘરો) Hindi:  Banshan (बनशण), Jhunjhunia (झुनझुनिया), bansam, shanpushpi Irula: Kolingi Japanese: Kurotararia akuminaata (ク ロタラリア・アクミナータ  ),  Ku rotararia vu~eru Kosa (ク ロタラリア・ヴェル コサ ) Kurotararia verukosa,  Ku rotararia angurosa (ク ロタラリア・アングロサ) Kannada:  Gijigiji gida (ಗಿಜಿಗಿಜಿ ಗಿಡ), giji-giji gida, gijibeeji, gijigiji gida, gijigiji soppu, gilanganchi gida, gilangicchu, ginagigiji gida, thannele gida, ulukina gida Konkani: Kilukiluppai, bhat ghagari (भाट घागरी) Laos: Ko hnha:z lem (Houa Pan) Malay: Kacang reriang Malaysia: Gegiring jantan Malayalam:  Kilukilukki (കിലുകിലുക്കി), Kilukiluppa (കിലുകിലുപ്പ), pee-tandale-cotti Marathi:  Bhat ghagari (भाट घागरी), Khulkhula (खुळखुळा), Sagar tag (सागर ताग), bomb, ghagaree, ghagari, ghagharu, khulkulaa, san, tag, thirat Nepali: Shobhaapushp (शोभापुष्प) Philippines: Bulai laua, gulinggam (Sulu), reging (Bagobo) Burma (Myanmar): Hing hai bay yai Russian:  Krotaliariia verrukoznaia (Кроталярия веррукозная) Sanskrit:  Brihatpuspi (बृहत्पुष्पी), Ghaṇṭāravā (घण्टारवा),  Shanapuspi (शणपुष्पी), Śaṇapuṣpikā (शणपुष्पिका), Brihatapushpi Sinhalese: Jac Beerie Gha, Nil-andana-hiriya, Yak Bariye Spanish: Cascabelillo, Cascabelito, Chochito, Crotalaria lengua de vaca Tamil:  Cankuniti (சங்குநிதி), Kilu-kiluppai (கிலுகிலுப்பை), Pakaṉṟai (பகன்றை), Gilugiluppai,Salangaichedi, amparanemi, amparanemicceti, avaratimatu, calcalamatar, cankuniti, cankunti, cantatakacceti, cantatakam, guluglluppaichedi, iratimatu, iratimatucceti, kalimakam, kalimarakacceti, kalimarakam#, kalimarakam@, kappi, kaucikeyam, killukiluppai, kilu kulppai, kilukiluppai, kilunki, kuttanacani, matavalaki, mavatalaki, narimarutti, narimerutti, narimiratti, nariverutti, otai, pakanrai, pakanraicceti, pancapatcivaci, peetandale-cotti, pemiratti, peymiratti, peymocci, peyppalamiratti, peyppalamiratti, peyppalamiratticceti, piccai, pittantalaikkotti, tampalakkarutam, tantalaikkotti, tanti, ulanku, ulankucceti, uttelanacceti, uttelanam, vami, vattakillu killuppai, vattakilukiluppai, vattakkilukiluppai, vattanarimiratti, vattanariviratti, vellaikkilukiluppai, venkilukiluppai, venkilukiluppaicceti, vilupannivilu, vitaikalikacceti, vitaikalikam Telegu: Giliginta (గిలిగింత), Ghelegherinta, alla galli gheetsa, alla gili giccha, ghalegherinta, gheli-gherinta, gilagoranta, gili gicha Thai:   Hing hai bai yai (หิงหายใบใหญ),  Kra pho phi (กระเพาะผี),    Mak hing nu (หมากหิ่งหนู) Tulu: Gijigiji dai (ಗಿಜಿಗಿಜಿ ದೈ) Vietnam: Sục sạc
Plant Growth Habit	Erect or spreading, much-branched, annual, sub-woody plant
Growing Climates	Fallow fields, marshy ground, along rivers, roads, Grassland, sparse forests, edges, open places in dry evergreen and deciduous forests
Plant Size	About 50 to 100 cm in height
Stem	Stem 4-angled, sulcate, shortly appressed or spreading pubescent
Leaf	Simple; blade ovate to elliptic, up to 5·5–12·5 cm. long, 4·5–8 cm. wide, thinly appressed or spreading pubescent on both surfaces; petiole ± 4–9 mm. long
Flowering season	November
Flower	Occur in 10-12 flowered racemes at the end of branches or laterally. The racemes are typically 15-20 cm long. Flower tube is about 2 cm, bluish purple and white. “Standard” petal 1.5 cm, obovate, veined with dark purple lines
Fruit Shape & Size	Oblong Pod, 3–4 cm long, 9–12 mm thick, apressed pubescent or with spreading brown hairs
Fruit Color	Yellowish to brownish
Seed	Oblique-cordiform, with the narrow end strongly incurved, practically smooth to distinctly papillose, shiny, brown.
Propagation	By Seed
Taste	Bitter, astringent, sour
Plant Parts Used	Leaves, flowers, root, whole plant, seed
Other Facts	The plant is grown as a green manure.
Precautions	The seed has caused liver damage to test animals.