shana :

Seedpods and seed Photograph by: Arria Belli

Substitute:

Crotalaria pallida Aiton-Fabacae

Adultrants:

1.Crotalaria junica Linn-Fabacae

2.Crotalaria verrucosa Linn-Fabacae

Controversy:

Crotalaria retusa is a butterfly host plant. According to the Butterfly Circle website, Crotalaria retusa is the food plant for the pea blue butterfly (Lampides boeticus). Unlike other butterfly caterpillars that chew up leaves, the first two instars of the pea blue bore into flower buds of this plant and consume the flower parts contained within. The larger 3rd and final instar caterpillars will move on to eat the developing seeds within seed pods.

Commercial value:

C. retusa has been actively introduced to be used as a fibre crop, green manure, forage, ground cover and soil improver, and consequently the risk of new introductions as well as the probability of escape from cultivation is high, mainly in disturbed areas (Wagner et al., 1999; Brunner et al., 2013; PIER, 2013).

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