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Roemer senna, twoleaf senna, twoleaf wild sensitive plant

Ripley's 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 0.2 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

1–5-flowered;

bracts caducous.

1(or 2)-flowered;

bracts caducous.

Pedicels

9–16 mm.

5–10 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 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

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

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

Seeds

brown or pinkish brown, paddle-shaped or pyriform.

pinkish brown, olive green, or ochre, pyriform.

2n

= 28.

Senna roemeriana

Senna ripleyana

Phenology Flowering spring–early fall. Flowering mid summer–early fall.
Habitat Mesquite grasslands, chaparral, draws in shortgrass prairies, barren hillsides, desert washes, roadsides. Gravelly, desert hilltops and flats.
Elevation 100–2000 m. (300–6600 ft.) 1400–1700 m. (4600–5600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
NM; OK; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Zacatecas)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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. 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. pilosior, S. pumilio, S. roemeriana, S. surattensis, S. wislizeni
Synonyms Cassia roemeriana, Earleocassia roemeriana Cassia ripleyana
Name authority (Scheele) H. S. Irwin & Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35: 282. (1982) (H. S. Irwin & Barneby) H. S. Irwin & Barneby: Phytologia 44: 500. (1979) — (as ripleyi)
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