Cusara pea
Crotalaria trichotoma

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A shrub. It grows 2 m tall. The branches are angled with ribs along them and are hairy. The leaves have 3 leaflets. The leaflets are narrowly oval and 6-10 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. They are hairy underneath. There are 10-20 flowers together at the ends of the branches. The flowers are yellow. The pod is 3-4 cm long by 0.7-1.2 wide. There are 50-70 seeds. The seeds are a dull orange. They are 2.2-2.8 mm long.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows up to 1,200 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Brazil, Central America, China, India, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nicaragua, South America, Tanzania, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Caution: It should probably not be eaten in large amounts due to alkaloids.

Edible parts

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds. The seeds should be soaked in warm water before planting.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Crotalaria cleomoides Klotzsch; Crotalaria thomensis Baker f.; Crotalaria usaramoensis Baker f.; Crotalaria zanzibarica Benth.;