LEGUMINOSAE SOPHORA 



543 



Distribution. Common from the Gulf Coast to the Pecos and less abundant 

 n mountain canons to New Mexico. It is mostly shrubby, but becomes a tree 

 feet high and forms groves in the vicinity of Matagorda Bay. 



Poisonous properties. Mr. Chesnut says : 



The beautiful bright rd berries of the Frijolillo or coral bean of southern and western 

 'exas contain a powerful poisonous alkaloid. The plant is said to have poisoned stock in Texas 

 nd in northern Mexico. 



It contains sophorin, an amorphous alkaloid, which, according to Czapek, is 

 robably identical with cytisin. The beans are somewhat used by the Indians 

 o produce intoxication. 



6. Crotalaria (Dill) L. Rattle-box 



Herbs or occasionally somewhat woody plants, with simple or 3-7-foliolate 

 eaves ; yellow flowers borne in racemes ; calyx 5-cleft, somewhat 2-lipped, 

 tandard large, heartshaped ; wings oblong or obovate ; keel curved, stamens mon- 

 delphous, with anthers of 2 forms; pod inflated like the pea, but shorter and 

 nany-seeded. About 250 species found chiefly in the tropics. 



Crotalaria sagittalis L. Rattle-box 



Annual from 3 inches to a foot high, with a small straight root ; stem 

 ranched, villous, terete or wing margined ; leaves oval or oblong-lanceolate, 





Fig. 300. Rattlebox (Crotalaria sagittalis). 

 a, whole plant; b, cross section of seed pod 

 both one-third natural size. The cause of 

 crotalism in horses. (U. S. Dept. Agr.) 



