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Roemer senna, twoleaf senna, twoleaf wild sensitive plant

trans-Pecos senna

Habit Herbs, perennial, to 0.7 m. Leaves slightly sclerophyllous, 2.5–9.5 cm, hairy; stipules caducous; extrafloral nectary 1, between leaflet pair, shortly stipitate; leaflet pairs 1, blades lanceolate-oblong or lanceolate, 20–70 × 4–14 mm. Herbs, perennial, to 0.7 m. Leaves slightly sclerophyllous, 1.5–7.5 cm, hairy; stipules tardily deciduous; extrafloral nectary 1, between leaflet pair, stipitate; leaflet pairs 1, blades broadly, obliquely obovate to oblong-obovate, 15–40 × 10–25 mm.
Racemes

1–5-flowered;

bracts caducous.

2–6-flowered;

bracts caducous.

Pedicels

9–16 mm.

6–15 mm.

Flowers

monosymmetric;

calyx caducous, pale green;

corolla yellow or orange-yellow, longest petal 12–17 mm;

androecium not heterantherous, stamens 7, staminodes 3;

anthers 2.2–3.3 mm, dehiscing by 1 apical pore, apical appendage 0;

gynoecium nearly linear, ovules 22–40;

ovary densely hairy;

style slightly incurved.

monosymmetric;

calyx persistent into developing fruit, pale green;

corolla yellow, longest petal 8.5–10 mm;

androecium not heterantherous, stamens 7, staminodes 3;

anthers 2.3–3.7 mm, dehiscing by 1 apical pore, apical appendage 0;

gynoecium nearly linear, ovules 16–26;

ovary densely hairy;

style linear.

Legumes

erect, subcylindrical, straight or slightly curved, 20–35 × 4.5–6.5 mm, corrugated over seeds, dehiscing apically downward.

erect, flat, straight, 20–40 × 5.5–7.5 mm, corrugated over seeds, dehiscing apically downward, with 1 series of seeds.

Seeds

brown or pinkish brown, paddle-shaped or pyriform.

dull pinkish or grayish brown, pyriform.

2n

= 28.

= 28.

Senna roemeriana

Senna pilosior

Phenology Flowering spring–early fall. Flowering spring–mid fall.
Habitat Mesquite grasslands, chaparral, draws in shortgrass prairies, barren hillsides, desert washes, roadsides. Sandy banks, desert washes.
Elevation 100–2000 m. (300–6600 ft.) 600–1500 m. (2000–4900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
NM; OK; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Senna pilosior is the only senna in North America with sepals persisting into fruit development and falling off before fruit matures and dehisces. Persistent sepals are diagnostic to distinguish S. pilosior from the close relatives S. bauhinioides and S. durangensis; the trio is, in fact, characterized by a history of repeated misidentifications (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. 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. ripleyana, 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. pumilio, S. ripleyana, S. roemeriana, S. surattensis, S. wislizeni
Synonyms Cassia roemeriana, Earleocassia roemeriana Cassia bauhinioides var. pilosior, C. pilosior
Name authority (Scheele) H. S. Irwin & Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35: 282. (1982) (B. L. Robinson ex J. F. Macbride) H. S. Irwin & Barneby: Phytologia 44: 500. (1979)
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