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Glite Dictionary
Crotalaria sagittalis

Crotalaria sagittalis

9.9
A tropical plant with dry pods that rattle when seeds move
  • noun
  • Specialized
: Crotalaria sagittalis
  • The fields were dotted with Crotalaria sagittalis, their pods rattling softly in the breeze.

Examples

  • The dried pods of Crotalaria sagittalis are often collected by children for their distinctive rattling sound.

  • Farmers sometimes cultivate Crotalaria sagittalis as a cover crop to enrich the soil.

  • The Crotalaria sagittalis is known for its unique seed pods.

  • Many gardeners appreciate the Crotalaria sagittalis for its ornamental value.

  • The dried pods of Crotalaria sagittalis produce a pleasant rattling sound when shaken.

  • In the garden, Crotalaria sagittalis adds beauty and a unique sound with its rattling seed pods.

  • Children enjoy listening to the rattling sound made by the ripe seeds inside the pods of Crotalaria sagittalis.

Synonyms

American rattlebox
vsCrotalaria sagittalis
  • US
9.0

A tropical flowering plant from the Americas with colorful flowers and pods whose seeds rattle when shaken

emphasizes the internal seed movement causing the sound

Surface Forms

Crotalaria sagittalis singular
Crotalaria sagittalises plural

Morphology

crotalaria + sagittalis

This is a technical Latin binomial functioning mainly as a taxonomic label rather than a freely compositional English phrase; a B1 learner knowing the parts would not reliably infer the full description (tropical annual herb with inflated, rattling seed pods). There is partial transparency because 'crotalaria' historically relates to rattling pods, but the species epithet is obscure and the precise botanical details are not predictably derivable, so the overall transparency is limited.

Etymology

Crotalaria sagittalis may come from old Greek words: Crotalaria from a word meaning 'rattle' because its dry pods make a rattling sound, and sagittalis meaning 'arrow-shaped' for its leaves. So the name helps you remember the plant as one with rattling pods and arrow-like leaves.