FoI
Winged-Stem Rattlepod
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Winged-Stem Rattlepod
ative Photo: R. Vijayasankar
Common name: Winged-Stem Rattlepod • Bengali: Bandar lathi • Kannada: Budubudike kaayi • Nepali: सिंगेसिंगे Singesinge • Oriya: jhumka • Nepali: बोक्सिबाजा Boksibaajaa, छिमछिमे Chhimachhime, सिंगे सिंगे Singe Singe, ठुलो बोक्सिबाजा Thulo Boksibaajaa, ठुलो छेके Thulo Chheke
Botanical name: Crotalaria alata    Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)
Synonyms: Crotalaria bialata

Winged-Stem Rattlepod is a herb or shrublet, erect, 5-100 cm tall. Branches are zigzag, silky hairy. Stipules lie flat on the stem as a broad wing. Leaves are simple, nearly stalkless. Leaf blade is elliptic to obovate-elliptic, 3-8 × 1-5 cm, base flat to wedge-shaped, tip blunt with a short point. Flowers racemes arise at the end of branches or leaf-opposed, 2- or 3-flowered. Bracts are ovate-lanceshaped, about 3 mm. Flower stalks are 3-5 mm. Bracteoles are in­serted at base of sepal tube, similar to bracts. Sepal cup is 2-lipped, 6-10 mm. Sepals are lanceshaped, long-pointed. Flowers are yellow - standard petals obovate-circular, 5-8 mm, bearded at the tip. Wings are oblong, shorter than standard. Keel is ovate, apically with a long twisted beak. Pod is oblong, 3-4 cm, 30-40- seeded, sparsely velvety or hairless, tip with a slightly curved beak. Seeds are obliquely heart-shaped, smooth. Flowering: June-August.

Identification credit: R. Vijayasankar
Photographed in Manipur.
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