Family Fabaceae
“Although the toxicity of this species is not known, Crotalarias have been associated world-wide with poisoning in animals; the plants contain toxic alkaloids responsible mainly for severe liver and/or lung damage in livestock. Locally, members of the genus have been associated with jaagsiekte, a chronic respiratory disease in horses and mules and Stywesiekte in cattle, characterised by painful, warm hooves and abnormal hoof growth during chronic phase.”
Extract from: Wild flowers of South Africa (Braam van Wyk)
Members of the legume family have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria that live in their roots: these nitrifying bacteria are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen, making it available to the plant that is hosting them. When the plant dies, the nitrogen is released to the soil enriching it, and is then also available to other plants. This is what makes a lot of members of this family good pioneers-the first plants to inhabit a damaged or disturbed area, making it more habitable for other plants to also settle themselves. Other species of Crotalaria are used as cover crops and in re-vegetation projects for this reason, also to bind the sand and as windbreaks because they grow are fast growing.
They are pollinated mainly by carpenter bees. Blue butterfly larvae, of the family Lycaenidae, parasitize the pods. Chameleons are often found on the bushes waiting to predate the adult butterflies.
