Crotalaria purshii
| Crotalaria purshii | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Crotalaria |
| Species: | C. purshii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Crotalaria purshii DC.
| |
Crotalaria purshii, or Pursh's rattlebox, is a flowering plant. It grows in parts of the southeastern United States.[1]
It is a rosid eudicot in the Fabaceae family and Crotalaria genus.[2][3]
Frederick Traugott Pursh was a German-American botanist for whom the Purshia genus and several plants are named.
Description
C. purshii is a perennial herb that grows 0.2-0.5 m in height. The leaves are simple, with middle and upper leaves linear to lanceolate in shape, growing 4-10 mm wide and 3-6 cm long, while the lower leaves are oblong to spatulate, growing 6-15 mm wide and 2-3 cm long. The peduncle grows 3-12 cm in length, and has 3-6 flowers. The petals are yellow in color, and are equal in length or longer than the calyx, which is closely subtended by 2 linear, flat bractlets that grow 4-6 mm long. The plant is densely pubescent.[4]
Distribution and habitat
C. purshii is endemic to the coastal plain of the southeastern United States, ranging from southeast Virginia to central Florida, and west to Louisiana.[5]
It grows along roadsides, in sandy openings, and dry to mesic pinelands,[5] occurring in a range of light conditions and a variety of mostly sandy soil types.[6]
Conservation and cultural use
The genus Crotalaria is listed as a noxious weed by the Arkansas State Plant Board, but C. purshii is listed as endangered and possibly extirpated by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.[7]
The seeds of C. purshii can be used as a coffee substitute, but this is not recommended as improper preparation can result in poisoning.[8]
References
- ^ "Crotalaria purshii - Species Details". Atlas of Florida Plants.
- ^ "University of Tennessee Herbarium - TENN | The University of Tennessee, Knoxville". herbarium.utk.edu.
- ^ "Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin". www.wildflower.org.
- ^ Radford, Albert E.; Ahles, Harry E.; Bell, C. Ritchie (1968) [First published 1964]. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. University of North Carolina Press. p. 585. ISBN 0-8078-1087-8. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ a b Weakley, A. S. (2015). Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States. Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina Herbarium.
- ^ Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: [1]. Last accessed: June 2014. Collectors: Harry E. Ahles, Loran C. Anderson, Grafton Anding, Wilson Baker, M.L. Bomhard, R. S. Campbell, Andre F. Clewell, Richard R. Clinebell II, D. S. Correll, Delzie Demaree, Robert K. Godfrey, J. Haesloop, A. Johnson, Lisa Keppner, Ed Keppner, R. Komarek, R. Kral Paul C Lemon, M. Jenkins, Sidney McDaniel, Thomas E. Miller, John B. Nelson, R. A. Norris, C.K. Pearse, A. B. Pittman, H. R. Reed, Annie Schmidt, Kenneth Lee Tyson, and Jean Wooten. States and Counties: Alabama: Baldwin, Conecuh, Geneva, and Washington. Florida: Bay, Calhoun, Dixie, Duval, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington. Georgia: Berrien, Coffee, Grady, Seminole, Thomas, and Tift. Louisiana: Washington. Mississippi: George, Jackson, and Pearl River. North Carolina: Sampson. South Carolina: Dorchester and Lee.
- ^ USDA, NRCS. (2016). The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 22 April 2019). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
- ^ Fernald, et al. 1958. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. p.61 Harper and Row Publishers, New York.