Common name: Sunn Hemp
Malay name: –
Scientific name: Crotalaria juncea
Conservation status: Cultivated, Naturalised, Introduced (India)
An evergreen shrub that grows up to 2.5 m tall. It has a straight stem and hairy branches. Leaves are narrow and spirally arranged. It bears yellow, pea-like flowers and short, puffy seedpods.
Habit: Annual shrub
Cultivation: It is planted by seeds
Ecological function: This plant is used as green manure. It is planted as a cover crop to suppress weeds. It fixes nitrogen in soil. Its flowers attract pollinators.
Pollinator: Bees, insects
Soil: Sand, loam, clay
Moisture: Moist, well-drained soils. Established plants are drought-tolerant
Shade: No shade
Use: Edible (leaf, flower), fibre (paper, string, fishing net)