brown hemp

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Indian-hemp
• Madras-hemp
• sann-hemp
• sunn crotalaria
• sunn-hemp
• sunn hemp

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Crotalaria juncea var. bengalensis
• Crotalaria kanchiana
• Crotalaria juncea var. puncticulata
• Isotropis argentea
• Crotalaria fenestrata
• Crotalaria benghalensis
• Crotalaria cannabinua
• Crotalaria tenuifolia

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is further organized into the order Fabales and the family Fabaceae. Ultimately, it is categorized under the genus Crotalaria.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning multiple continents and climatic zones. In Eastern Europe, its presence can be documented within the territory of Ukraine. Moving toward the African continent, it is found across Northern Africa, specifically in Libya. The species also thrives in West Tropical Africa, where it is native to Burkina. Furthermore, its range extends to other West Tropical African nations such as Ghana and Guinea-Bissau.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Crotalaria juncea is characterized by a broad adaptability to diverse landscapes, ranging from sea level up to an elevation of 2000 m AMSL. This species thrives in a wide variety of environmental settings, including anthropized areas (Área Antrópica), floodplain meadows (Campo de Várzea), and open grasslands (Campo Limpo). It is also capable of colonizing rocky fields (Campo Rupestre), the diverse savanna ecosystems of the Cerrado (latu sensu), and even mangrove environments (Manguezal), demonstrating a remarkable ability to persist in both terrestrial and coastal transitional habitats.

Elevational range max:

2000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica, Campo de Várzea, Campo Limpo, Campo Rupestre, Cerrado (lato sensu), Manguezal

Life history

The life history of Crotalaria juncea is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning it completes its entire developmental progression from germination to seed production within a single growing season. As a therophyte, the plant follows a strategy of escaping unfavorable environmental conditions by surviving through the seed stage, with the adult individual dying off after the reproductive phase is complete. This life form is consistent across its growth stages, functioning as a therophyte that prioritizes rapid biomass accumulation and prolific seed dispersal to ensure the continuity of the species in its ecological niche.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Crotalaria juncea is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and forb. It is a self-supporting plant, rather than a liana, vine, or climber, and it functions as an independent organism without parasitic tendencies. As a terrestrial species, it does not exhibit epiphytic behavior. The plant's stature is variable, with a height ranging from a minimum of 1 m to a maximum of 3 m, maintaining an average plant height of approximately 1.6 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

3 m

Plant height mean:

1.6 m

Plant height min:

1 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Crotalaria juncea is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency. Its vegetative morphology includes leaves that typically range in length from 3 cm to a maximum of 6.5 cm, while the leaf width is notably narrow, fluctuating between a minimum of 0.2 cm and a maximum of 0.5 cm. Furthermore, the plant exhibits a highly significant physiological capability as a nitrogen fixer, utilizing symbiotic relationships to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a bioavailable form, thereby enhancing soil fertility and supporting its own nutritional requirements.

Leaf length max:

6.5 cm

Leaf length min:

3 cm

Leaf width max:

0.5 cm

Leaf width min:

0.2 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

yes

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Crotalaria juncea is driven by a biotic pollination syndrome, specifically relying on insect vectors such as bees to facilitate the transfer of pollen. The plant does not exhibit self-fertilization, indicating a reliance on cross-pollination mechanisms to ensure genetic diversity. Following successful fertilization, the plant develops fruit in the form of a pod, which is characterized by being dehiscence, meaning it splits open to release its contents. The seeds produced within these pods exhibit significant variation in size, with a minimum seed mass of 0.0016 g and a maximum seed mass of 0.058 g, resulting in a mean seed mass of approximately 0.033216667 g.

Dehiscence :

dehiscent

Fruit type :

pod

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed mass max:

0.058 g

Seed mass mean:

0.033216667 g

Seed mass min:

0.0016 g

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Crotalaria juncea has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include seed.

Seed

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Chemicals

Crotalaria juncea has 22 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Ash, STARCH, (NH4)2SO4, 2-amino-5-hydroxyhexanoic acid, FAT.

Ash

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)

STARCH

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)

(NH4)2SO4

1. Phytochemistry

2-amino-5-hydroxyhexanoic acid

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

FAT

1. Dr. Duke

IRON

1. Phytochemistry

Juncein

1. Dr. Duke

LP

1. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)

PHOSPHORUS

1. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)

Riddelliine

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Crotalaria juncea has 106 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Abortifacient, Absorbent, Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor, Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Abortifacient

1. Dr. Duke

Absorbent

1. Dr. Duke

Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Angiotensin-Receptor-Blocker

1. Dr. Duke

Antiaggregant

1. Dr. Duke

Antiangiogenic

1. Dr. Duke

Antiatheromic

1. Dr. Duke

Antiatherosclerotic

1. Dr. Duke