CrotalariaCrotalaria eremaea Crotalaria cunninghamii (Green Bird Flower)
Commonly called Rattlepods, the genus Crotalareia (family Fabaceae), includes over 700 species. Whilst the continent of Africa is home to the majority of Crotalaria species (approximately 400 species), there are about 30 species endemic to Australia.
The different species of Crotalaria can be found in a variety of habitats, floodplains, edges of swamps and rivers, grassland, bush land, fields and roadside. Some species are found in sand country, dunes and arid regions.
The Crotalaria have a variety of common names from Bird Flower (genus Crotalaria), to Parrot Pea or Green Bird Flower (species Crotalaria cunninghamii), and Bluebush Pea (species Crotalaria eremaea). Another common name is Rattlepod or Rattlebox, the name coming from the noise the seeds make in the pods, as the mature.
There are several species of Crotalaria that are cultivated as crops, some are food for insects, whilst there are some that are toxic to birds and mammals.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Tracheophyta
- Subphylum: Angiospermae
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Order: Fabales
- Family: Fabaceae
- Subfamily: Faboideae
- Tribe: Crotalarieae
- Genus: Crotalaria
Footnote & References
- Crotalaria L., Bird Flower, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https%3A//id.biodiversity.org.au/taxon/apni/51300011
CrotalariaCrotalaria eremaea Crotalaria cunninghamii (Green Bird Flower)
FloraFlora in Australia Flora Index Acacia Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) Annual Yellowtop Apium prostratum subsp. prostratum var filiforme Apple Bush (Pterocaulon sphacelatum) Australian Bluebell Australian Gossypium Banksia Batswing Coral Tree Billy Buttons Birdsville Indigo Blue Pincushion Bush Banana Callistemon Callitris drummondii (Drummond’s Cypress Pine) Calothamnus quadrifidus Cape Honeysuckle Cassia fistula (Golden Shower) Cattle Bush Common Heath Crotalaria Darwinia wittwerorum (Wittwer’s Mountain Bell) Daviesia oppositifolia (Rattle-pea) Desert Oaks Drumsticks Eremophila Eucalyptus Ficus Flannel Cudweed (Actinobole uliginosum) Georges Indigo Goatshead Burr (Sclerolaena bicornis) Golden Everlasting Goodenia Gossypium Grass and Grasses Grass Trees Grevillea Grey Germander Hakea Kapok Bush (Aerva javanica) Lambertia sp Leptospermum MacDonnell Ranges Cycad Maireana scleroptera Mexican Poppy Minnie Daisy Mistletoe Family Nardoo Native Apricot Nicotiana megalosiphon subspecies sessilifolia Nuytsia floribunda Orange Spade Flower Orchidaceae Parakeelyas (Calandrinia) Pebble Bush (Stylobasium spathulatum) Perennial Yellow Top Pink Everlasting Pink Rock Wort Poached Egg Daisy Portulaca Proteaceae Ptilotus Quandong Resurrection Fern Rosy Dock Ruby Saltbush Santalum Solanum Spike Centaury Spinifex Storkbill (Erodium cygnorum) Striped Mint Bush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tall Saltbush Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Tribulus eichlerianus Upside-down Plant Urodon dasyphylla Variable Daisy Waratah (Telopea) Wertabona Daisy White Cedar (Melia azedarach) White Indigo White Paper Daisy Wild Passionfruit Wild Stock Woolly-Headed Burr Daisy Woolly Bush Yellow-keeled Swainsona
Flora & FaunaFauna Flora Fauna Flora Funga Glossary Funga Related Topics Scientific Classification Backyard Wildlife Floral Emblems of Australia Wildflowers