Crotalaria paulina
Crotalaria paulina, commonly known as the rattlepod, is a versatile medicinal plant valued in traditional healing practices. Renowned for its bioactive compounds, it is frequently utilized to treat inflammatory conditions and digestive ailments. This species serves as a vital botanical resource, offering significant pharmacological potential for modern therapeutic research.
- Scientific name: Crotalaria paulina
- Family: Fabaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. Under the subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Fabales and the family Fabaceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Crotalaria.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Fabales | WCVP |
| Family | Fabaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Crotalaria | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Crotalaria paulina, is known by various regional names depending on the local language. In English, it is commonly referred to as rattlepod. In Spanish, it is known as ratalia or ratalia de monte, while in Portuguese, it is called ratalia.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|
Distribution
This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution that spans across multiple continents. In the African region, it can be found in Ethiopia within Northeast Tropical Africa and in Kenya throughout East Tropical Africa. Its presence also extends to the southern part of the continent in Zimbabwe. Moving to the Americas, the species is located in Venezuela within Northern South America. Finally, its range includes the western reaches of South America in Colombia.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Ethiopia | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Kenya | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Zimbabwe | WCVP |
| Northern South America | Venezuela | WCVP |
| Western South America | Colombia | WCVP |
| Brazil | Brazil West-Central | WCVP |
| Brazil | Brazil Northeast | WCVP |
| Brazil | Brazil Southeast | WCVP |
| Brazil | Brazil South | WCVP |
| Southern South America | Argentina Northeast | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Crotalaria paulina, is recognized for its distinct botanical features, but it is specifically the seeds that are of significant interest in traditional medicinal contexts. These seeds are contained within characteristic legume pods and are often utilized in various herbal preparations due to their bioactive properties. While the entire plant structure supports its growth, the concentrated chemical compounds found within the seeds are the primary focus when exploring its therapeutic potential.- Total parts
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| seeds | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Crotalaria paulina has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include aspartate, glutamate, glycine, leucine, serine.
- Total chemicals
- 6
- Scientific sources
- 6
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| aspartate | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| glutamate | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| glycine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leucine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| serine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| trypsin inhibitor | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |