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Argentine senna

Maryland senna, wild senna

Habit 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. Herbs, perennial, to 0.6–2 m. Leaves mesophyllous, 12–27 cm, finely hairy; stipules caducous; extrafloral nectary 1, base of or along petiole, sessile or shortly stipitate; leaflet pairs 5–9, blades elliptic, oblong-elliptic, or lanceolate, 30–60 × 9–24 mm.
Racemes

4–18-flowered;

bracts caducous.

usually 5–15-flowered;

bracts caducous.

Pedicels

13–23 mm.

9–17 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.

monosymmetric;

calyx pinkish brown;

corolla yellow, longest petal 8–14 mm;

androecium heterantherous, stamens 7, staminodes 3;

anthers of middle stamens 2.6–3.5 mm, of abaxial stamens 4–5 mm, truncate, dehiscing by 2 pores, apical appendage 0;

gynoecium incurved, ovules 20–28;

ovary glabrous or slightly hairy;

style incurved, not dilated.

Legumes

somewhat pendulous, cylindrical, straight, 40–120 × 6–10 mm, corrugated over seeds, indehiscent.

ascending, flat, curved downward, 65–110 × 7.5–11 mm, corrugated over seeds, tardily dehiscent, each seed compartment wider than long.

Seeds

dull brown or dark reddish brown, obliquely obovoid or oblong-ellipsoid.

dark reddish brown, obovoid or oblong-obovoid.

2n

= 28.

= 28.

Senna corymbosa

Senna marilandica

Phenology Flowering early winter–mid spring. Flowering mid summer–early fall.
Habitat Thickets, brushy stream and river banks, waste places. Open woodlands, valley floors, creek banks, swamps, thickets, pastures.
Elevation 0–500 m. (0–1600 ft.) 0–500 m. (0–1600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; GA; LA; MS; SC; TX; s South America
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; DC; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NE; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Senna marilandica is introduced in southern California.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (excluding Mimosoid clade) > Senna Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (excluding Mimosoid clade) > Senna
Sibling taxa
S. alata, S. armata, S. artemisioides, S. atomaria, S. bauhinioides, S. covesii, S. durangensis, S. hebecarpa, S. hirsuta, S. ligustrina, S. lindheimeriana, S. marilandica, S. mexicana, S. multiglandulosa, S. obtusifolia, S. occidentalis, S. orcuttii, S. pendula, S. pilosior, S. pumilio, S. ripleyana, S. roemeriana, S. surattensis, S. wislizeni
S. alata, S. armata, S. artemisioides, S. atomaria, S. bauhinioides, S. corymbosa, S. covesii, S. durangensis, S. hebecarpa, S. hirsuta, S. ligustrina, S. lindheimeriana, S. mexicana, S. multiglandulosa, S. obtusifolia, S. occidentalis, S. orcuttii, S. pendula, S. pilosior, S. pumilio, S. ripleyana, S. roemeriana, S. surattensis, S. wislizeni
Synonyms Cassia corymbosa, Adipera corymbosa Cassia marilandica, C. reflexa, Ditremexa marilandica, D. medsgeri, D. nashii, S. riparia
Name authority (Lamarck) H. S. Irwin & Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35: 397. (1982) (Linnaeus) Link: Handbuch 2: 140. (1829) — (as marylandica)
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