| Crotalaria longirostrata | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Crotalaria |
| Species: | C. longirostrata |
| Binomial name | |
| Crotalaria longirostrata | |
Crotalaria longirostrata, thechipilín, is aperenniallegume that is native toMexico andCentral America.[2] Other common names includechepil,chepilin, chipilin andlongbeak rattlebox.
Chipilínleaves are a commonleafy vegetable in the local cuisines of southern Mexico, includingChiapas,Oaxaca, andTabasco, and Central America, especiallyEl Salvador,Honduras andGuatemala. The leaves are high iniron,calcium,magnesium, andbeta carotene. They can be boiled and served green, dried and used as an herb, or added totamale doughs for color and flavor.
When thepods of the plant dry, theydehisce (split open), spreading theseeds over a wide area. That, combined with the fact that the plant is not eaten by animals, has given chipilín the reputation of aninvasive plant. In the continentalUnited States, chipilín is characterized as a noxiousweed, perhaps because other members of the genusCrotalaria aretoxic tocattle.[3] The importation of chipilín seeds or plants is banned inAustralia. Introduced populations exist on the island ofMaui inHawaii.
Media related toCrotalaria longirostrata at Wikimedia Commons
