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wand riverhemp

rattlebox, scarlet sesban

Habit Shrubs or trees, to 4 m. Stems glabrous or pilose, hairs persistent, close-pressed, golden or clear in age, developing leaves and young stems with same pubescence of simple hairs; pith solid or spongy. Shrubs or trees, to 4 m. Stems glabrous in age; pith spongy, soon becoming obsolete.
Leaves

13–25+ cm;

stipules 0.3–0.4 cm, with conspicuous inner fold throughout, hairs dense, close-pressed, inner fold and base with stipitate, multicellular glands;

pulvinus slightly more than 1/2 as long as petiole;

rachis ± sericeous, without stipitate glands, obscure gland(s) present at petiolule base;

stipels reduced in size between successive leaflets, long-filamentous glandular;

leaflets 28–36+, blades elliptic-ovate to oblong, base acute, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces silky sericeous abaxially, usually glabrous adaxially.

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.

Inflorescences

5–15+-flowered, racemes.

5–15+-flowered, racemes.

Peduncles

(0.6–)1.7–2.1(–4.1) cm.

(1.1–)2.1–2.4(–3.3) cm.

Flowers

(0.7–)0.9–1(–1.3) cm;

calyx ± zygomorphic, lobes 5, short-acuminate, rim of tube villose, stalked glands between abaxial lobes absent in fruit;

corolla yellow, banner venation sometimes darker;

banner ovate, base cordate-truncate, apex emarginate, becoming strongly reflexed and contorted, calluses as relatively small, acute teeth at claw base, thickened, knoblike at base of blade/top of claw;

wings without basal tooth;

keel ± same color throughout, apex acute, curved strongly inward, without basal tooth;

stamens incurved within keel;

style recurved;

ovules 4–6.

(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).

Legumes

red- to gray-brown, without horizontal mottling in age, 4-angled, square in cross section, straight or slightly falcate, (0.8–)4.4–5.5(–6.5) × (0.7–)0.8(–0.9) cm, thick, woody, seed chambers apparent in young fruits becoming obscure at maturity, margins of young fruits with shallow thin ridges resembling early wings of S. punicea or S. drummondii, ridges becoming thickened and rounded at maturity, beak short-pyramidal, (0.2–)0.4–0.7(–1.3) cm, indehiscent;

stipe (0.4–)0.5–0.6(–0.9) cm.

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.

Seeds

(1–)4 or 5(or 6), reddish brown to gray, without mottling, reniform-orbicular.

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

2n

= 12.

= 12.

Sesbania virgata

Sesbania punicea

Phenology Flowering early summer–early fall. Flowering early summer–fall.
Habitat Wet areas, ripar­ian, wetlands, coastal, disturbed sites. Wet areas, riparian, wetlands, coastal, disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–20 m. (0–100 ft.) 0–500 m. (0–1600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; MS; South America [Introduced also in se Mexico (Veracruz), West Indies, Central America]
[BONAP county map]
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]
Discussion

Sesbania virgata is native to northern Argentina and southern Paraguay and has been introduced to numerous port cities in the Americas. In the flora area, it is known from the Pensacola, Florida, region and from several populations along the coastline southeastward to Hillsborough and Pinellas counties and westward to Harrison County, Mississippi. The most distinguishing characteristic of the species is the quadrangular pod.

Sesbania affinis De Wildeman (1904) is a later homonym (not Schrader ex de Candolle 1825) that pertains here.

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

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.)

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. punicea, S. sericea, S. vesicaria
S. drummondii, S. grandiflora, S. herbacea, S. sericea, S. vesicaria, S. virgata
Synonyms Aeschynomene virgata, Agati virgata, Coursetia virgata, Emerus marginatus, S. marginata, S. tetragona Piscidia punicea, Aeschynomene miniata, Daubentonia punicea, S. tripetii
Name authority (Cavanilles) Poiret in J. Lamarck et al.: Encycl. 7: 129. (1806) — (as Sesban) (Cavanilles) Bentham in C. F. P. von Martius et al.: Fl. Bras. 15(1): 43. (1859)
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