LEGUMINOSAE— SOPHORA 



543 



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

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

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



Poisonous properties. Mr. Chesnut says : 



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

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

 and in northern Mexico. 



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

 probably identical with cyiisin. The beans are somewhat used by the Indians 

 to produce intoxication. 



6. Crotalaria (Dill) L. Rattle-box 



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

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

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

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

 many-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 

 branched, 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.) 



