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poisonbean, rattlebush

Habit Shrubs or subshrubs, to 3 m. Stems glabrous in age; pith spongy.
Leaves

12–19 cm;

stipules 0.2–0.4 cm, with inconspicuous inner fold throughout, inner fold and base with stipitate, multicellular glands or glabrous;

pulvinus less than 1/2 as long as petiole;

rachis ± glabrous, without stipitate glands in canal;

stipels narrow obscure glands;

leaflets 16–50+, blades elliptic-ovate to oblong, base acute, apex obtuse, surfaces glaucous, usually glabrous abaxially, sometimes with diffuse, close-pressed hairs.

Inflorescences

1–12-flowered, racemes.

Peduncles

(0.9–)1.7–1.8(–3) cm.

Flowers

(0.9–)1.3–1.5(–1.7) cm;

calyx ± zygo-morphic, deciduous before fruits mature, lobes 5, short-deltate, rim of tube with spreading hairs, stalked glands usually present between abaxial lobes;

corolla pale yellow;

banner ovate, base truncate-obcordate, apex emarginate, calluses as relatively small ridges at claw base, forming a pocket, thickened, knoblike at top of claw;

wings without basal tooth;

keel ± same color throughout, apex rounded-obtuse, curved upward to slightly outward in apical tooth, without basal tooth;

stamens curved upward;

style curved upward with stamens;

ovules 4–9.

Legumes

light tan to reddish brown, 4-angled, with pronounced torulose wings, square in cross section, straight, (3.2–)5.7–6.2(–9.3) × 0.8(–0.9) mm, seed chambers clearly visible externally, beak short- to long-pyramidal, (0.4–)0.7–0.8(–1.3) cm, indehiscent or tardily dehiscent;

stipe (1.1–)1.6(–2) cm.

Seeds

(1–)3 or 4(–9), dark reddish brown, without mottling, reniform-orbicular.

2n

= 12.

Sesbania drummondii

Phenology Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Wet areas, riparian on sandy soils, coastal sites, disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–600 m. (0–2000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MS; SC; TX; Mexico (Tamaulipas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Sesbania drummondii is often mistaken for the Mexican species S. cavanillesii S. Watson (= Sesbania longifolia de Candolle). It is distinguished by rounded versus acute leaf apices and winged versus not winged legumes. In bloom, the yellow-orange corollas make S. drummondii clearly distinct from S. punicea; in fruit, identification is simplified by the acuminate versus pyramidal beak and wavy versus straight-edged wings.

Daubentonia texana Pierce is a superfluous name that pertains here.

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

Source FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Sesbania
Sibling taxa
S. grandiflora, S. herbacea, S. punicea, S. sericea, S. vesicaria, S. virgata
Synonyms Daubentonia drummondii
Name authority (Rydberg) Cory: Rhodora 38: 406. (1936)
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