Senna corymbosa

Shrubs or trees, to 3.5 m. Leaves mesophyllous, 5.5–9.5 cm, glabrous or glabrate; stipules caducous; extrafloral nectary 1, between first leaflet pair, sessile or short-stipitate; leaflet pairs 3, blades oblong-lanceolate, 25–60 × 5–14 mm. Racemes 4–18-flowered; bracts caducous. Pedicels 13–23 mm. Flowers monosymmetric; calyx brownish to greenish yellow; corolla golden yellow, longest petal 8–16 mm; androecium heterantherous, stamens 7, middle stamens 1/2 as long as abaxial or smaller, staminodes 3; anthers of middle stamens to 3.6–4.8 mm, of abaxial stamens 5.2–6.5 mm, dehiscing by nearly U-shaped pore, apical appendage inconspicuous; gynoecium incurved, ovules 34–50; ovary hairy; style slightly incurved. Legumes somewhat pendulous, cylindrical, straight, 40–120 × 6–10 mm, corrugated over seeds, indehiscent. Seeds dull brown or dark reddish brown, obliquely obovoid or oblong-ellipsoid. 2n = 28.

Phenology: Flowering early winter–mid spring.
Habitat: Thickets, brushy stream and river banks, waste places.
Elevation: 0–500 m.

Distribution

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Fla., Ga., La., Miss., S.C., Tex., s South America.

Discussion

Senna corymbosa has been cultivated for over two centuries and is a common ornamental in many botanical gardens worldwide; it has become naturalized in warmer western Europe and South Africa (H. S. Irwin and R. C. Barneby 1982).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.