Nectar Plant
Lampides boeticus – Pea Blue
Danaus chrysippus – Plain Tiger
Euploea core – Common Crow
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Other notes
Natural History: Native Annual Sub-shrub.
It is an annual sub-shrub native to tropical Asia. The flowers are pea-like and blue in color, and are borne in 10-20 flowered racemes. The fruits are oblong pods containing 10-12 seeds. The flowering season occurs from August to November (Flowers of India 2023; WFO 2023).
Vernacular Names: Bengali: Bansan (নশণ); Gujarati: Ghugharo (ઘૂઘરો); Hindi: Banshan (बनशण), Jhunjhunia (झुनझुनिया); Kannada: Gijigiji gida (ಗಿಜಿಗಿಜಿ ಗಿಡ); Konkani: Bhat ghagari (भाट घागरी); Malayalam: Kilukilukki (കിലുകിലുക്കി), Kilukiluppa (കിലുകിലുപ്പ); Marathi: Bhat ghagari (भाट घागरी), Khulkhula (खुळखुळा), Sagar tag (सागर ताग); Sanskrit: Brihatpuspi (बृहत्पुष्पी), Shanapuspi (शणपुष्पी); Tamil: Cankuniti (சங்குநிதி), Kilu-kiluppai (கிலுகிலுப்பை); Telugu: Giliginta (గిలిగింత) (Flowers of India 2023).
References:
Flowers of India (2023): Blue Rattlepod. Accessed on 11 Jan 2023. URL: http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Blue%20Rattlepod.html.
Jayasinghe, H., S. Rajapaksha & C. de Alwis. (2014). A compilation and analysis of food plants utilization of Sri Lankan butterfly larvae (Papilionoidea). Taprobanica, 6(2): 110-131. DOI: 10.4038/tapro.v6i2.7193
Robinson, G. S., P. R. Ackery, I. Kitching, G. W. Beccaloni, and L. M. Hernández. (2023). HOSTS - a database of the World’s Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum DOI: 10.5519/havt50xw
WFO (2023): Crotalaria verrucosa L. Accessed on 11 Jan 2023. URL: http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000210929.
Page citation
Kawthankar, N. 2025. Crotalaria verrucosa L. – Blue Rattlepod. In Kunte, K., S. Sondhi, and P. Roy (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 4.12. Published by the Indian Foundation for Butterflies. URL: https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/crotalaria-verrucosa, accessed 2025/05/20.