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Argentine senna

Ripley's 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 0.2 m. Leaves slightly sclerophyllous, 1–5 cm, hairy; stipules persistent; extrafloral nectary 1, between leaflet pair, stipitate; leaflet pairs 1, blades oblong-elliptic or obliquely obovate-elliptic, 6–20 × 3–10 mm.
Racemes

4–18-flowered;

bracts caducous.

1(or 2)-flowered;

bracts caducous.

Pedicels

13–23 mm.

5–10 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 caducous, yellowish to pale green;

corolla yellow or orange-yellow, longest petal 8.5–9 mm;

androecium not heterantherous, stamens 7, staminodes 3;

anthers 3–3.5 mm, dehiscing by 1 apical pore, apical appendage 0;

gynoecium nearly linear, ovules 18–28;

ovary densely hairy;

style incurved, linear, 3–3.5 mm.

Legumes

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

erect, cylindrical, straight or slightly curved, 13–24 × 5–8 mm, slightly corrugated over seeds, dehiscing apically downward.

Seeds

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

pinkish brown, olive green, or ochre, pyriform.

2n

= 28.

Senna corymbosa

Senna ripleyana

Phenology Flowering early winter–mid spring. Flowering mid summer–early fall.
Habitat Thickets, brushy stream and river banks, waste places. Gravelly, desert hilltops and flats.
Elevation 0–500 m. (0–1600 ft.) 1400–1700 m. (4600–5600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; GA; LA; MS; SC; TX; s South America
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Zacatecas)
[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 ripleyana is one of three sennas in North America forming and sprouting from a woody taproot (the other species are S. bauhinioides and S. pumilio). The species appears to be rare (recorded from Brewster County), but perhaps it has been overlooked or misidentified as S. bauhinioides (H. S. Irwin and R. C. Barneby 1982).

(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. marilandica, S. mexicana, S. multiglandulosa, S. obtusifolia, S. occidentalis, S. orcuttii, S. pendula, S. pilosior, S. pumilio, S. roemeriana, S. surattensis, S. wislizeni
Synonyms Cassia corymbosa, Adipera corymbosa Cassia ripleyana
Name authority (Lamarck) H. S. Irwin & Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35: 397. (1982) (H. S. Irwin & Barneby) H. S. Irwin & Barneby: Phytologia 44: 500. (1979) — (as ripleyi)
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