POISONOUS AND INJURIOUS PLANTS ra 
1 to 114 inches long and 1 inch wide, narrowed at the base and rounded 
at the apex, but they often have a short bristle; they are more or less 
smooth above, hairy beneath. The conspicuous, pea-shaped flowers are 
borne vertically along a long, terminal flowering stem. The petals 
are 14 to 14 inch long and vary from greenish-yellow to yellow. The 
drooping, hairy, inflated pods, about 14 inch thick and 1 inch long, 
are hght green when young; they become light brown when ripe and 
split lengthwise. The small, kidney-shaped seeds are hard and shiny. 
In the Virgin Islands, the seeds usually germinate at the onset of the 
wet season, and produce plants that blossom and fruit during the fall 
and winter months of the same year, though they may not flower until 
the second year. In the Virgin Islands, the plants usually die after 
making one crop of seeds. The seeds are scattered by wind and water; 
animals and birds apparently refrain from eating the seeds. 
Rexiatep Specres.—Three closely related species—Crotalaria specta- 
bilis Roth. (61), C. striata DC (41), and @. sagittalis L. (21)—have 
been reported to be toxic. These species do not occur naturally in 
the Virgin Islands, and it is recommended that they not be grown 
here for any purpose. 
DistriBsuTion AND Haprrat.—This species is scarce in the drier re- 
gions but is found in full sun or partially shaded areas in moist districts 
on St. Croix and St. Thomas. (It has not been reported from St. 
John.) It grows more commonly in the central and northwestern 
portion of St. Croix. This species is somewhat alkali tolerant though 
it becomes partially chlorotic in certain areas. It prefers a well- 
drained soil but also grows on the heaviest clays with a moderate 
amount of rainfall. It is found in small patches along roadsides, in 
waste places, cultivated fields, and pastures. 
Toxiciry AnD Symproms.—Results of chick-feeding trials indicate 
Crotalaria incana L. has toxic properties similar to those of C. retusa L. 
(See Crotalaria retusa L.) 
MANAGEMENT AND Controt.—The plants are a constant potential 
danger to livestock in that they are eaten from the seedling stage 
through maturity. Destruction of the plants requires constantly re- 
curring treatments. Where stands are scarce, manual control meas- 
ures may be practiced. Where stands are abundant, mechanical and 
chemical control measures have proved to be more economical. Clip- 
ping pastures before the plants mature seed is partially effective; how- 
ever, this does not remove the entire plant. The most economical 
control measure for abundant stands is with herbicides, of which the 
ester forms of 24-D and 2.4.5-T are effective. Once the seeds are 
scattered on the ground, many years are required to exterminate the 
plants as some seeds lie in the soil for years before sprouting. Planting 
infested areas in cultivated crops greatly assists in eliminating the 
plant. 
Leguminosae, or Legume, Family 
Crotalaria retusa L. (fig. 14) 
Description.—This herbaceous pasture weed is an annual: it usually 
grows to a height of 1 to 2 feet but occasionally, to 4 feet or more. 
Its ascending ribbed branches are covered with short, flat-lying hairs 
and are green in the younger parts. The simple leaves are mostly 
alternate but occasionally opposite, and are borne on short stems with 
two small stipules. The club-shaped leaf blades are 1 to 3 inches 
