Slenderleaf rattlepod
Crotalaria brevidens

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A much branched herb. It lives for one or sometimes more years. It grows 2 m tall. The branches curve upwards and have soft hairs. The leaves are alternate. They have 3 leaflets. The leaf stalks are 2-6 cm long. The leaflets are narrow and 4-10 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. They are hairy underneath. The flowers are in a group at the top of the plant. These can be 50 cm long. There are many narrow flowers. They are yellow with red veins. The fruit is a narrow pod 4-5 cm long and 1 cm wide. It is slightly curved at the ends. There are many seeds that are 3 mm long and yellow to orange.

There are about 550 Crotalaria species. They are mostly tropical. It suppresses Meloidogyne nematodes in the soil.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows between 500-2,700 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Congo, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Caution: It is bitter due to Pyrrolizidine alkaloids. If eaten with corchorus or with milk it is less bitter. The tender leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. They are cooked with potash and have peanuts added to improve the flavour. Leaves can be dried and stored for later use. The seeds are poisonous.

It is a cultivated food plant. It is a popular leafy vegetable in some places.

Edible parts

Seeds, leaves, flowers, caution, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. Seed germinate in 3-4 days. It responds well to natural compost and manures.

Plants are ready for harvesting after 8 weeks. Harvesting can continue for 4 months.

Its other names

Local names

Ethiopian rattlebox, Kamususu, Kimiro, Miro, Mitoo, Mutoo

Synonyms

Crotalaria albertiana Baker f.; Crotalaria brevidens Benth. var. intermedia (Kotschy) Polhill; Crotalaria intermedia Kotschy; Crotalaria intermedia Kotschy var. abyssinica Engl.; Crotalaria intermedia Kotschy var. dorumaensis (Wilczek) Polhill; Crotalaria intermedia Kotschy var. parviflora (Baker f.) Polhill; Crotalaria purpureo-lineata Baker f.;