The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

rattlebox, scarlet sesban

poisonbean, rattlebush

Habit Shrubs or trees, to 4 m. Stems glabrous in age; pith spongy, soon becoming obsolete. Shrubs or subshrubs, to 3 m. Stems glabrous in age; pith spongy.
Leaves

4.5–30+ cm;

stipules 0.4–0.5 cm, with inconspicuous inner fold 2/3 its length, inner fold and base often with stipitate, multicellular glands and long, simple hairs;

pulvinus less than 1/2 as long as petiole;

rachis ± appressed-pilose, with or without stipitate glands in canal, stipitate gland present at petiolule base;

stipels narrow, gland tipped;

leaflets 14–40, blades elliptic to oblong-obovate, base acute-obtuse, apex truncate to obtuse, surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent abaxially, usually glabrous adaxially.

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

5–15+-flowered, racemes.

1–12-flowered, racemes.

Peduncles

(1.1–)2.1–2.4(–3.3) cm.

(0.9–)1.7–1.8(–3) cm.

Flowers

(1.8–)2–2.2(–2.5) cm;

calyx ± zygomorphic, usually absent at fruit maturity, lobes 5, short and broad, sinuses shallow, rim of tube glabrous, stalked glands absent;

corolla orange-grenadine-red;

banner ovate, base truncate, apex emarginate, calluses as relatively small, acute teeth at claw base;

wings without basal tooth;

keel ± same color throughout, apex rounded-obtuse, curved upward, without basal tooth;

stamens curved upward within keel;

style curved upward with stamens;

ovules 6 or 7(–10).

(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

red-brown, with or without horizontal mottling, 4-angled, square in cross section, ± straight, with pronounced, spreading wings, torulose or not, (5.2–)8.8–9.5(–10.7) × (0.7–)0.8(–9) cm, seed compartments slightly pronounced externally in age, beak long-pyramidal to triangular, (0.5–)0.9–1(–1.4) cm, tardily dehiscent;

stipe (0.8–)1.1–1.2(–1.6) 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

(1–)6 or 7(–10), red-brown to gray, without mottling, globose to reniform-orbicular.

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

2n

= 12.

= 12.

Sesbania punicea

Sesbania drummondii

Phenology Flowering early summer–fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Wet areas, riparian, wetlands, coastal, disturbed sites. Wet areas, riparian on sandy soils, coastal sites, disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–500 m. (0–1600 ft.) 0–600 m. (0–2000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; VA; South America [Introduced in North America; introduced also in e Mexico, West Indies, Central America, Africa (South Africa)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MS; SC; TX; Mexico (Tamaulipas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Sesbania punicea is used as an ornamental and is commonly sold under the name Scarlet Sesban. This native of central South America can survive short freezes and has escaped and become a noxious weed in some wetland locations.

(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. grandiflora, S. herbacea, S. sericea, S. vesicaria, S. virgata
S. grandiflora, S. herbacea, S. punicea, S. sericea, S. vesicaria, S. virgata
Synonyms Piscidia punicea, Aeschynomene miniata, Daubentonia punicea, S. tripetii Daubentonia drummondii
Name authority (Cavanilles) Bentham in C. F. P. von Martius et al.: Fl. Bras. 15(1): 43. (1859) (Rydberg) Cory: Rhodora 38: 406. (1936)
Web links