Yellow or sand rattlepod
Crotalaria mitchellii subsp. mitchellii, Fam. Fabaceae
Prostrate to erect perennial, stems woody based, 30-100cm tall.
| Weed Category: |
Other invasive plants Invasive plants that are not prohibited or restricted invasive plants, but are known to spread readily and cause negative impacts, within the region.
|
| Weed: | Yes |
| Form or habit: | Herb |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Leaf: | Simple Alternate Simple, alternate, elliptical to ovate, shortly stalked, up to 100 x 50mm. Stipules narrow, tapering, 3-7mm long. |
| Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Flower colour: |
Yellow |
| Flower description: | Yellow with darker streaks, about 10mm long, racemes 80-200mm long. |
| Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Fruit colour: |
Brown |
| Fruit: | Dry |
| Fruit description: | Pods 15-30 x 5-10mm, glabrous, dark brown at maturity with 8-12 greenish-grey seeds, about 4 x 3mm. |
| Habitat: | |
| Distribution | |
| Food source for: | |
| Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
| Origin: | Local native |
| Notes: | Spread by: gravity. Water and contaminated machinery used for road construction and agriculture. Invades/threats: uncultivated pastures, crops, roadsides, disturbed environmental areas, especially on sandy soils. Oten occur in large colonies. Notes: local native species, widespread in coastal and sub-coastal Queensland, especially on sandy soils. May occasionally be a weed of cane fields. Suspected of poisoning stock but feeding tests have proved negative. Correct identification is essential, especial for managers of environmental areas. Most species have nitrogen fixing nodules on their roots. The hard seeds have a long viability and build up in the soil seed bank. |
| Information sources: | Mackay Regional Pest Management Group (2018) Weeds of the Mackay Whitsunday Region Second Edition. |
