genus Crotalaria

9.9

A group of plants with soft stems and yellow flowers that grow in tropical Africa

noun

Specialized

: género Crotalaria

In tropical Africa, the genus Crotalaria includes many species known for their vibrant yellow flowers.

Examples

Farmers often plant varieties from the genus Crotalaria to improve soil health and fertility.
Some species of the genus Crotalaria are used for erosion control due to their dense growth.
Eisner and colleagues headed for central Florida, where the rattlebox plant, a member of the genus Crotalaria, which is in the pea family, flourishes.

Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

crotalaria

vsgenus Crotalaria

Specialized

1 9.9

A plant with seed pods that rattle, often grown to feed animals or improve soil

emphasizes yellow raceme flowers and tropical African distribution

Surface Forms

genus Crotalaria singular

genera Crotalaria plural

Morphology

genus + crotalaria

This is compositionally transparent: 'genus' denotes a biological rank grouping related species and 'Crotalaria' is the taxon name, so the phrase straightforwardly means the group of species called Crotalaria. Taxonomic noun phrases of this form are standard and cross-linguistically common, so a learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Genus Crotalaria comes from an old Greek word meaning 'rattle' because the plants' seed pods make a small rattling sound when shaken. That's why the name Crotalaria was used for this whole genus of yellow-flowered plants and helps you remember them.