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rattlebox, scarlet sesban

papagayo, silky sesban

Habit Shrubs or trees, to 4 m. Stems glabrous in age; pith spongy, soon becoming obsolete. Herbs, [trees or shrubs], to 6 m. Stems sometimes with prickles, sericeous, hairs persistent, golden tan; 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.

10.5–22.3 cm;

stipules 0.6 cm, golden tan-sericeous, with conspicuous inner fold 3/4 its length, base of fold unlike other Sesbania with additional shorter fold that parallels long one, inner fold without stipitate, multicellular glands, glands often present at base;

pulvinus more than 1/2 as long as petiole;

rachis sericeous, with stipitate glands in canal;

stipels long, narrow, ± glandular;

leaflets 34–96+, blades elliptic-ovate to broadly linear, base obtuse to acute, apex truncate to rounded obtuse, surfaces sericeous, hairs dense, golden tan abaxially, usually glabrous adaxially.

Inflorescences

5–15+-flowered, racemes.

1–18+-flowered, racemes.

Peduncles

(1.1–)2.1–2.4(–3.3) cm.

(0.2–)0.5–0.6(–1.5) 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).

(0.7–)0.8–0.9(–1.9) cm;

calyx actinomorphic, lobes 5, deltate-acuminate, rim of tube with net of long hairs, stalked glands present at base of sinus, absent in fruit;

corolla yellow-orange, banner sometimes with purple-maroon spots on outer surface;

banner ovate, base broadly tapered, apex emarginate, calluses as ridges along claw, callus apices truncate;

wings without basal tooth;

keel same color throughout, similar to wings, apex ± truncate, curved upward to inward towards calyx, with basal tooth;

stamens curved inward within keel;

style recurved towards banner;

ovules 18–32.

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.

reddish brown, with horizontal mottling, narrow-elongate, terete to elliptic in cross section, straight to falcate, (1.7–)10–12.7(–18.8) × (0.2–)0.3(–0.4) cm, beak connate, narrowly tapered, 0.2(–0.4) cm, tardily elastic dehiscent;

stipe (0.1–)0.2(–0.3) cm.

Seeds

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

(3–)19–24(–32), greenish gray to brownish red, without mottling, columnar.

2n

= 12.

= 12, 24.

Sesbania punicea

Sesbania sericea

Phenology Flowering early summer–fall. Flowering early summer–fall.
Habitat Wet areas, riparian, wetlands, coastal, disturbed sites. Wet areas, riparian, wetlands, coastal, disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–500 m. (0–1600 ft.) 0–200 m. (0–700 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
FL; TX; Asia (Sri Lanka) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Africa]
[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 sericea is sometimes mistaken for S. herbacea but is more limited in its distribution, found only in Florida and Texas, while S. herbacea is widespread in the flora area. Identification is straightforward when relying upon the dense tomentum of appressed hairs found on the underside of the leaves, as no other North American species of Sesbania shares this attribute.

(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. drummondii, S. grandiflora, S. herbacea, S. punicea, S. vesicaria, S. virgata
Synonyms Piscidia punicea, Aeschynomene miniata, Daubentonia punicea, S. tripetii Coronilla sericea, Agati sericea, Emerus pubescens, S. laevigata, S. pubescens
Name authority (Cavanilles) Bentham in C. F. P. von Martius et al.: Fl. Bras. 15(1): 43. (1859) (Willdenow) Link: Enum. Hort. Berol. Alt. 2: 244. (1822)
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