What is Crotalaria used for?
Crotalaria (Crotalaria juncea L. Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L. Crotalaria genus. All Crotalaria are good at producing biomass and fixing nitrogen. They are resistant to nematodes, and can grow on droughty soil with low fertility.Crotalaria juncea, also known as sunn hemp, is currently grown throughout the tropics and subtropics as a source of green manure, lightened fiber, and fodder. Crotalaria juncea is also being considered as a potential source of cellulosic ethanol for biofuel.
Is crotalaria juncea poisonous?
Crotalaria species, particularly some species introduced to the United States such as C. C. Ritchey et al. Hooper and Scanlan, 1977; Williams and Molyneux, 1987) (Table 1). Though all parts of the plant are poisonous, seeds have the highest concentration of ricin and thus very poisonous [5]. The adverse effects following consumption of seeds include vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and burning sensation in the throat.This crop isn’t without drawbacks, however. It is a member of the Crotalaria genus, notorious for seeds that are high in toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Ingesting the seeds at a high rate can cause damage to the liver, lungs, heart and nervous system.