26 CIRCULAR 137, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Crotalaria spectabilis is one of the two species that have been 
tested somewhat extensively in the Southern States. Large quan- 
tities of green manure and good crops of seed have been produced. 
It has not yet been demonstrated that this species can be used for 
forage. Its somewhat bitter taste may preclude it for this purpose. 
At best it would make a coarse hay. The seed habits are fairly good, 
and in this respect it is one of ‘the best Crotalaria species “tested. 
The season of blooming and ripening seed is comparatively short, and 
it seems possible that the seed crop can be harvested by cutting the 
entire plant rather than by hand picking the pods, which seems neces- 
sary in many other species. At Gainesville, Fla., it is in bloom in 
July and ripens seed in September and October. Farther north it 
is somewhat later. 
Crotalaria sphaerocarpa Perrott. 
Plant, suberect, 3-9 decimeters high, diffusely branched, rounded at base, 
generally 3-6 decimeiers across, rather open top: stipules very small; leaves 
trifoliolate: leaflets oblanceolate, the central one larger than the laterals and 
2 cn. long, 8-10 mm. wide. mucronate, nearly glabrous; racemes lax, many 
flowered, terminal and lateral S—-12 cm. long: calyx 2 mm. long, calyx teeth 
longer than the tube; corolla yellow, 4 mm. long; pod roundish oblong, small, 
4 mm. long and 3 mm. wide; seed brow n, very small, 1 mm. long, matures mid- 
late. 
Very limited tests suggest that this species, having rather poor 
habits, may have some value for both forage and green-manure pur- 
poses. However, it has not volunteered or grown so readily as 
several other species. 
Crotalaria striata DC. 
Plant erect, 3-18 decimeters high, freely branched, with branches often 
quite divaricate, plants not symmetrical; stems terete, becoming woody with 
age: the young branches with a fine gray pubescence; stipules minute, mostly 
deciduous; leaves trifoliolate; leaflets obovate oblong, glabrous above and below, 
5-S cm. long and 3-3.5 cm. broad: racemes terminal, moderately -dense, 
15-25 cm. long; calyx 6-7 mm. long, teeth equaling the tube: corolla yellow, 
12-14 mm. long; the standard distinctly striate with purple lines; pod up to 
4 cm. long and 8 mm. wide, glabrescent: seed 2.5-3 mm. long, mottled or some- 
times solid; light amber or brown, variable, Matures midseason to late. 
The large acreage plantings of crotalaria in the Southern States 
have been of this species. Crotalaria striata 1s an upright free-grow- 
ing plant branching freely in thin stands and making a heavy yield 
of green manure. While coarse and somewhat woody With age, it can 
be cut with an ordinary mower. In thick stands when cut in first 
bloom it has the texture of good hay. In the green state it has a 
bitter taste, and its value for forage purposes ‘has not been fully 
determined. Meal made from this species has been fed to dairy 
cows with good results. It has been demonstrated that it is a good 
summer green-manure crop, but further work needs to be done with 
reference to its forage value. This species has fairly good seed 
habits. At Gainesville, Fla., it has bloomed in June, matured seed 
in July, and continued to bloom and ripen seed until frost. 
Crotalaria tetragona Roxb. 
Plant semierect, attaining a height of 2 meters: branches sulcate, thinly 
pubescent; stipules small or wanting: leaves simple, obovate oblong, large, 
8 Introductions of C. striata from Porto Rico have sometimes been called C. saltiana. 
