This paper deals with the systematics of 22 species available in the National Herbarium of Cultivated Plants (NHCP). NBPGR, New Delhi. An effort has been made to work out linkage of C. juncea L. with other related species using important vegetative and reproductive key characters. A Himalayan specis C. tetragona Roxb. ex Andrews appears to be the closest wild related species of the cultivated C. juncea. The section Calycinae to which C. juncea belongs. is well represented in India. Another section called Crotalaria shares many characters intermediate to this group is also concentrated mainly in the peninsular region. Besides distribution of different sections such as Grandiftorae. Hedriocarpae. Macrostachyae, etc. has also been discussed. A working key for identification of Indian species was developed based on this study.
Crotalaria, systematics, diversity/distribution
