Japanese name: タヌキマメ（狸豆） Scientific name:Crotalaria sessiliflora
[Overview]
An annual 20–70 cm tall, found in sunny grasslands and along roadsides on plains and hills.
The whole plant is covered with long brown hairs.
The stem is erect.
Leaves are alternate, linear to narrowly oblong-ovate, 4–11 cm long and 0.3–1 cm wide, with long brown hairs on the leaf margins.
At the base of the leaf are linear stipules 4 mm long.
The leaves look simple, but are palmately compound with a single leaflet.
A raceme 1–10 cm long emerges at the stem tip and bears 2–20 flowers.
The flowers are bluish purple and pea-shaped.
The calyx is large and densely covered with brown hairs, and after flowering it grows larger still and covers the fruit.
The fruit is an oblong, hairless legume 1–1.5 cm long.
When ripe, the fruit splits into two halves and releases 4–30 seeds.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
Sow the seeds as soon as they are harvested.
It prefers well-drained soil in sun to partial shade.
Cultivation is easy.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries.
For plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
Fertilizing is not particularly necessary.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
