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vegetable hummingbird

poisonbean, rattlebush

Habit Trees, to 6 m. Stems with close-pressed hairs; pith not observed. Shrubs or subshrubs, to 3 m. Stems glabrous in age; pith spongy.
Leaves

8–43+ cm;

stipules 0.8–0.9 cm, with conspicuous inner fold throughout, inner fold often with velutinous, stipitate glands, glands absent at base;

pulvinus at least 1/2 as long as petiole;

rachis glabrescent or glabrous, with stipitate glands at base of leaflets in canal (not between leaflet pairs);

stipels long, narrow, glandular;

leaflets 10–20–50+, blades ligulate to elliptic-oblong, base obtuse to acute, apex emarginate to truncate, surfaces usually glabrous, sometimes with close-pressed, golden hairs.

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 or panicles.

1–12-flowered, racemes.

Peduncles

(1.2–)1.9–2.3(–3.1) cm.

(0.9–)1.7–1.8(–3) cm.

Flowers

(5.1–)6.3–7(–7.9) cm;

calyx zygomorphic, ± bilabiate, lobes 0 or 5, rounded or obsolete, rim often with sinuous hairs from inner surface, with short, straight, close-pressed hairs on outer surface near teeth, stalked glands absent from rim, absent in fruit;

corolla white or red-crimson;

banner oblong, base truncate to cordate, apex emarginate, calluses as shallow ridges along claw;

wings without basal tooth;

keel ± same color throughout or claw white and blade pink or scarlet, apex acute-rounded, curved upward to slightly inward, with basal tooth;

stamens curved upward within keel;

style curved upward with keel;

ovules 27–48.

(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

brown-tan, without mottling, flattened parallel to sutures, rectangular in cross section, straight to falcate, (35.1–)38.7–43.8(–49.7) × (0.5–)0.7–0.8(–0.9) cm, beak gradually tapered, flattened, (0.6–)1–1.7(–2) cm, tardily dehiscent;

stipe (4.3–)4.4–4.5(–4.6) cm.

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

(27–)35–40(–46), yellow-green or brown to reddish, without mottling, reniform-orbicular.

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

2n

= 12.

= 12.

Sesbania grandiflora

Sesbania drummondii

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Wet areas, riparian and wetland sandy soils, disturbed sites. Wet areas, riparian on sandy soils, coastal sites, disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–20 m. (0–100 ft.) 0–600 m. (0–2000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; s Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; se Asia; Africa; Pacific Islands; Australia [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MS; SC; TX; Mexico (Tamaulipas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Sesbania grandiflora has relatively large, showy flowers and is grown throughout the tropics as an ornamental. Its original range is difficult to ascertain due to its widespread horticultural use; other Sesbania species endemic to the South Pacific have similar morphology, and molecular evidence suggests shared ancestry (F. T. Farruggia 2009).

In the flora area, Sesbania grandiflora is known from the Florida Keys.

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

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. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Sesbania Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Sesbania
Sibling taxa
S. drummondii, S. herbacea, S. punicea, S. sericea, S. vesicaria, S. virgata
S. grandiflora, S. herbacea, S. punicea, S. sericea, S. vesicaria, S. virgata
Synonyms Robinia grandiflora, Aeschynomene grandiflora, Agati grandiflora, Coronilla grandiflora, Dolichos arboreus, Emerus grandiflorus, Resupinaria grandiflora, S. coccinea Daubentonia drummondii
Name authority (Linnaeus) Poiret in J. Lamarck et al.: Encycl. 7: 127. (1806) — (as Sesban grandiflorus) (Rydberg) Cory: Rhodora 38: 406. (1936)
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