| New Holland rattlepod | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Crotalaria |
| Species: | C. novae-hollandiae |
| Binomial name | |
| Crotalaria novae-hollandiae | |
Crotalaria novae-hollandiae, known commonly as the New Holland rattlepod, is a species of flowering plant that is native to Australia.
The New Holland rattlepod is a member of the Eudicots, a part of the larger Angiosperm division of flowering plants. It has characteristically bright yellow flowers and larger brown pods. Since they are in the family Fabaceae, they are distantly related to legumes such as peas, lima beans, and lentils. Although some members of this genus indigenous to other countries have edible flowers which may be eaten raw and seeds that are edible and nutritious if treated correctly, the New Holland Rattlepods are known to be toxic and should not be used as a source of food for humans.
The Crotalaria novae-hollandiae grows as a shrub usually in sandy soils. It is an annual that has dark green leaves, bright yellow flowers in a spike inflorescence, and brown club shaped pods. The yellow flowers are in a type of clog shape, containing three asymmetrical petals. These pods rattle when mature and they contain toxic alkaloids. These dehiscent pods are most likely a defense mechanism to assure that animals do not commonly ingest these plants, as doing so is poisonous to a number of them. The New Holland Rattlepod grows to about 80 centimeters tall with leaves slightly pointed at the apex and pods crowded on the stem, which hang down when they mature.
This plant tends to grow on soils often in association with the Wedge Leaf Rattlepod and nearly always confined to the river banks and riverfronts that are prone to periodic flooding. For example, it is widespread in the areas around the Victoria River. They seem to favor degraded country and in good seasons often occur in dense patches and are very noticeable when in flower because of their bright yellow color.
Due to its alkaloid properties, Crotalaria novae-hollandiae is known to be a somewhat poisonous plant. The New Holland Rattlepod is not considered to be good food to give to livestock. The plant contains toxic elements that are potentially dangerous to horses and other farm animals. In earlier feeding trials with horses, consumption led to deaths and symptoms typical of Kimberley horse disease, also known as walkabout disease. These pyrrolizidine alkaloids can also cause damage in liver, lungs and in pigs in the kidney. Additional damage can be done to the liver and lungs and cause dummy syndrome in horses and cattle
Jacobaea vulgaris, syn. Senecio jacobaea, is a very common wild flower in the family Asteraceae that is native to northern Eurasia, usually in dry, open places, and has also been widely distributed as a weed elsewhere.
Crotalaria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae commonly known as rattlepods. The genus includes over 700 species of herbaceous plants and shrubs. Africa is the continent with the majority of Crotalaria species, which are mainly found in damp grassland, especially in floodplains, depressions and along edges of swamps and rivers, but also in deciduous bush land, roadsides and fields. Some species of Crotalaria are grown as ornamentals. The common name rattlepod or rattlebox is derived from the fact that the seeds become loose in the pod as they mature, and rattle when the pod is shaken. The name derives from the Ancient Greek κρόταλον, meaning "castanet", and is the same root as the name for the rattlesnakes (Crotalus).
Argemone mexicana, also known by the common names Mexican poppy, Mexican prickly poppy, flowering thistle, cardo, and cardosanto, is a species of poppy found in Mexico and now widely naturalized in many parts of the world. An extremely hardy pioneer plant, it is tolerant of drought and poor soil, often being the only cover on new road cuttings or verges. It has bright yellow latex. It is poisonous to grazing animals, and it is rarely eaten, but it has been used medicinally by many peoples, including those in its native area, as well as the indigenous peoples of the western United States, parts of Mexico, and many parts of India. In India, during the colorful festival Holika Dahan, adults and children worship by offering flowers, and this species is in its maximum flowering phase during March when the Holi festival is celebrated. It is also referred to as "kateli ka phool" in India.
Grevillea robusta, commonly known as the southern silky oak, silk oak or silky oak, silver oak or Australian silver oak, is a flowering plant in the family Proteaceae, and accordingly unrelated to true oaks, family Fagaceae. Grevillea robusta is a tree, and is the largest species in its genus. It is a native of eastern coastal Australia, growing in riverine, subtropical and dry rainforest environments.
Bulbine bulbosa, commonly known as bulbine lily, native leek, golden lily, or native onion, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a perennial herb with thick roots, channelled leaves, and yellow flowers with hairy stamen filaments.
Conium maculatum, colloquially known as hemlock, poison hemlock or wild hemlock, is a highly poisonous flowering plant in the carrot family Apiaceae, native to Europe and North Africa. It is herbaceous without woody parts and has a biennial lifecycle. A hardy plant capable of living in a variety of environments, hemlock is widely naturalised in locations outside its native range, such as parts of Australia, West Asia, and North and South America, to which it has been introduced. It is capable of spreading and thereby becoming an invasive weed.
Dianella revoluta, commonly known as blueberry lily, blue flax-lily, or black-anther flax-lily, a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae and is endemic to, and widespread in Australia. It is a tufted, perennial herb with grass-like leaves and up to nine blue or violet flowers with six tepals, and stamens with bright yellow filaments and pale brown to almost black anthers.
Pyrrolizidine alkaloidosis is a disease caused by chronic poisoning found in humans and other animals caused by ingesting poisonous plants which contain the natural chemical compounds known as pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Pyrrolizidine alkaloidosis can result in damage to the liver, kidneys, heart, brain, smooth muscles, lungs, DNA, lesions all over the body, and could be a potential cause of cancer. Pyrrolizidine alkaloidosis is known by many other names such as "Pictou Disease" in Canada and "Winton Disease" in New Zealand. Cereal crops and forage crops can sometimes become polluted with pyrrolizidine-containing seeds, resulting in the alkaloids contaminating flour and other foods, including milk from cows feeding on these plants.
Crotalaria cunninghamii, also known as green birdflower, birdflower ratulpo, parrot pea or regal birdflower, is a plant of the legume family Fabaceae, named Crotalaria after the Greek word for rattle, because their seeds rattle, and cunninghamii after early 19th century botanist Allan Cunningham. Crotalaria cunninghamii is known as Mangarr to the Nyangumarta Warrarn Indigenous group.
Melaleuca squamea, commonly known as swamp honey-myrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to south eastern parts of Australia, especially Tasmania. It is an erect shrub growing in damp and swampy places with crowded leaves and many heads of pink to purple flowers in spring.
Oxytropis sericea is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names white locoweed, white point-vetch, whitepoint crazyweed, and silky crazyweed. It is native to western North America from Yukon and British Columbia south through the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, and the Great Plains.
Lechenaultia formosa, commonly known as red leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate or erect shrub or subshrub with crowded, narrow, fleshy leaves and scarlet or orange-red to pale orange flowers.
Solanum cinereum, commonly known as Narrawa burr, is a species of flowering plant in the family Solanaceae. It has dark green, spiny leaves and purple flowers and grows in open woodland in south eastern Australia.
Persoonia striata is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, often spreading shrub with hairy young branchlets, linear to spatula-shaped leaves, and bright yellow flowers borne in groups of up to five on a rachis up to 2 mm (0.079 in) long that continues to grow after flowering.
Crotalaria retusa is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by various common names including devil-bean, rattleweed, shack shack, and wedge-leaf rattlepod. It is poisonous to livestock, and contaminates human food. Its original native range is unclear, probably including tropical Asia, Africa and Australia. It has been introduced as a crop plant in many tropical areas and has escaped from cultivation to become a troublesome weed; it is listed as a noxious weed in several US states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and is listed as an invasive weed in India, Cuba, and Cocos Island. Unlike some other species of Crotalaria, it is an annual plant.
Hakea macrocarpa, commonly known as flat-leaved hakea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to northern Australia. It is a tree or shrub with furrowed bark, woolly-hairy branchlets, narrowly linear leaves and cream-coloured to greenish-yellow flowers.
Stenanthera pinifolia, commonly known as pine heath, is a species flowering plant in the family Ericaceae. It is a of shrub that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has narrow, linear leaves, yellow or red tubular flowers and a small edible berry.
Crotalaria spectabilis, the showy rattlebox or showy rattlepod, is a species of flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae. It is native to the Indian Subcontinent, southern China, and Southeast Asia. It is a perennial herb that grows up to 0.6–1.5 m (24–59 in) tall. It grows in montane grasslands. It was introduced to most of the world's tropics and subtropics and is now a serious agricultural pest species. It is toxic to livestock, causing liver damage.
Pultenaea dentata, commonly known as clustered bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect to low-lying or prostrate, open shrub with elliptic to narrow egg-shaped leaves and dense clusters of yellow, red and purple flowers.
Crotalaria eremaea, also known as the bluebush pea or loose-flowered rattlepod, is a species of legume native to Australia and occurring in all mainland states and territories except for Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.