Crotalaria

Crotalaria (Gr. krotalon, 'a rattle'), a tropical genus of papilionaceous Leguminosæ, deriving its name from the inflated pods in which the seeds rattle when ripe. The species are annual, perennial, and shrubby plants, some of which yield valuable fibre, particularly C. juncea, the Sunn, or Hemp Sana, or Janupa Hemp of India, an annual species. The perennial C. tenuifolia (Jubbulpore Hemp) is grown in Southern India, and other species or varieties are in cultivation. Several species are North American.