Rattlebox - Koolbloom

Rattlebox

Pictures are from a hike in the Western Ghats (Sahyadris) around 2007.

Botanical name Crotalaria pallida
English names salts rattlebox, smooth crotalaria, streaked rattlepod, striped crotalaria
Nederlandse naam
Indian names

Hindi: san
Marathi: Jungli taag

Characteristics

Native habitat Probably originally from tropical Africa, widely naturalised in the tropics: Indonesia, Sudan, United States (Florida, Puerto Rico), Brazil, India, and Bangladesh
Plant Type medium shrub
Bloom time Fall color
Fruit In a pod like peas (legume)
Uses

Grown as a ground cover and a green manure crop, especially in the inter-rows of rubber trees and coconut palms. Flowers are eaten as a vegetable in Cambodia, where the seeds are roasted and grounded for use as a sort of coffee beverage.

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Sources