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climbing cassia, valamuerto

Maryland senna, wild senna

Habit 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

usually 5–15-flowered;

bracts caducous.

Pedicels

9–17 mm.

Flowers

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

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

Seeds

dark reddish brown, obovoid or oblong-obovoid.

2n

= 28.

Senna pendula

Senna marilandica

Phenology Flowering mid summer–early fall.
Habitat Open woodlands, valley floors, creek banks, swamps, thickets, pastures.
Elevation 0–500 m. [0–1600 ft.]
Distribution
map from USDA
Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced, Florida; introduced also in Africa (South Africa), Pacific Islands, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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

Varieties 18–20 (1 in the flora).

Senna pendula is often confused with close relative S. bicapsularis, which is absent from North America and has shorter pedicels, only to 5 mm (H. S. Irwin and R. C. Barneby 1982; B. Marazzi et al. 2006b).

(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.)

Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae > Senna Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae > Senna
Sibling taxa
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. 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
Subordinate taxa
S. pendula var. glabrata
Synonyms Cassia pendula, Chamaefistula pendula Cassia marilandica, C. reflexa, Ditremexa marilandica, D. medsgeri, D. nashii, S. riparia
Name authority (Humboldt & Bonpland ex Willdenow) H. S. Irwin & Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35: 378. (1982) (Linnaeus) Link: Handbuch 2: 140. (1829) — (as marylandica)
Source FNA vol. 11. Treatment authors: Brigitte Marazzi, Michael A. Vincent. FNA vol. 11. Treatment authors: Brigitte Marazzi, Michael A. Vincent.
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