Low Rattlebox
Crotalaria pumila
Peña Blanca Canyon, Atascosa Mts., Arizona, USA. 25 September 2016.
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FLOWERS: Spikes of blood-orange and yellow pea flowers.
LEAVES: The compound leaves have three elongated oval leaflets.
ANNUAL: May germinate in late spring if winter rains have been good, otherwise
growth begins after start of summer rains. Most plants are less than ½ m tall.
RANGE: Canyon bottoms with deeper, moist soils in southern Arizona and hence south into northern
Mexico and tropical America.
FRUIT: The bean pods are inflated and pressurized with air. Once they are mature they rattle, particularly if there is a loose seed inside.
UNARMED
Fabaceae -- Legume Family
More Information:
- Southwest Environmental Information Network
- USDA Plant Profile
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Google Images
- Google Scholar Literature Search