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Senega paniculata

(L.) J.F.B.Pastore & J.R.Abbott (2023)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Fabales Family: Polygalaceae Genus: Senega

milkwort, root beer plant

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Annual herbs.

Stems: Stems erect to ascending, 1–5 dm long.

Roots: Usually many-branched, puberulent, roots with bubblegum-like odor.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Usually whorled. Blades oblong–lanceolate to linear, 1–2.5 cm long, 0.1–0.4 cm wide. Apex acute. Base attenuate. Surfaces glabrous. Margins entire. 1-veined. Sessile to short-petiolate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in axillary or pseudoterminal, slender racemes 3–12 cm long, each flower subtended by a small bract and 2 bracteoles. Flowers bisexual (perfect), zygomorphic, ca. 2 mm long. Calyx of 5 sepals, strongly unequal, outer sepals green, elliptic, ½ as long as inner ones, inner sepals (wings) petaloid, elliptic, ca. 2 mm long, 3–nerved. Corolla of 3(5), lowest and upper 2 adnate to staminal tube, lateral 2 much–reduced, lateral petals narrowly ovate, the keel appendaged. Stamens 8; filaments connate nearly to apex into a sheath split along upper side, adnate basally to keel and upper 2 petals; anthers basifixed. Ovary superior, laterally compressed, placentation apical; ovules 1 per cell, pendulous; style simple, elongate, terminal.

Fruit: Capsules 2–celled; oblong; nearly wingless; as long as or longer than inner sepals; glabrous. Seeds 1 per cell; black; ellipsoid; pubescent with short white hairs; aril small; with 2 membranous appendages.

Ploidy: 2n = 52–56

Habitat: Mesic to wet; disturbed areas.

Elevation Range: 40–1,100 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Notes

  • 10-1100 m
  • Description digitized by Joanne
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • Maui in 1974

Bibliography

Name Published In: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 108: 208 (2023)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1058 (O, EM, H [as Polygala paniculata]); Lorence et al. 1995:48 (K); Oppenheimer et al. 1999:10 (WM); Oppenheimer 2006:13 (Mo); Oppenheimer 2007:30 (L); Pastore et al. 2023:208 (Syn. P. paniculata = S. paniculata)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Senega paniculata Lyon Arboretum along road by cottages Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. Oahu BISH 1986-02-09
2 Senega paniculata side of the road at Paradise Park in the Puna District Growing in association with Paspalum conjugatum and Wedelia trilobata. The plant is growing in crushed lava or cinder and is exposed to direct sunlight. Preserved_Specimen The plant is an erect herb. Yoshida, L. 79.088 Hawaii BISH 1979-04-03
3 Senega paniculata Along Highway 13 between Pahoa & Kaimu Common roadside adventive. Preserved_Specimen Flowers white, turning lavender w/age. Nagata, K.M. 3538 Hawaii BISH 1986-06-21
4 Senega paniculata Waimea District, Puu Ka Pele Forest Reserve, Makaha Ridge road. Picnic area at end of pine plantation with various forestry plantings of pines and cypresses Area rather dry and eroded with groundcover dominated by Setaria, Axonopus, and Waltheria. Preserved_Specimen Erect herb; leaves dark green above, dull paler below; corolla white fading purple. Flynn, T.W. 6141 Kauai BISH 1997-04-29
5 Senega paniculata East Maui, Koolau Ditch Road wet windward roadsides Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 2483 Maui BISH 1986-01-23
6 Senega paniculata Honolulu, Hawaii Loa Ridge trail. Ohia overstory with Acacia koa, Schinus terebinthifolius and Scaevola gaudichaudiana. Understory of Osteomeles anthylidifolia, Setaria palmifoia, Stachytarpheta sp., Pterolepis glomerata. Adjacent to Disturbed native forest grouping with Psychotria kaduana, Xylosma hawaiiense, Carex wahuensis, Labordia tinifolia, Alyxia stellata, Kadua affinis, Euphorbia arnottiana, Diospyros sandwicensis, Santalum freycinetianum, Doodia kunthiana, Scaevola gaudichaudiana, Dicranopteris linearis, Christella parasitica, Blechnum appendiculatum, Cibotium,lots of Setaria palmifolia. Preserved_Specimen small herbs with white flowers, roots smell like rootbeer. Kennedy, B. 95 Oahu BISH 2019-04-26
7 Senega paniculata Kakipi Gulch, 6 km E of Haiku grassy, top of steep brushy cliff Preserved_Specimen roots with wintergreen odor; flowers white Fosberg, F.R. 55450 Maui BISH 1974-04-15
8 Senega paniculata Kaumana Substation Disturbed vegetation on 1881 lava flow, vegetation open Metrosideros with understory of introduced shrubs and Dicranopteris. Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 4633 Hawaii BISH 1982-11-16
9 Senega paniculata Upper Waiakea Forest Reserve, along Disappointment Trail (Puu Makaala access road) off Stainback Highway In Metrosideros rain forest. Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 4840 Hawaii BISH 1983-07-26
10 Senega paniculata ahupuaa of Halepuaa in the Puna District Growing on a jeep trail that runs through the experimental tree planting site on the side of the Puna Trail. The soil in the area is crushed lava or cinder. The plant was growing an in area that is exposed to direct sunlight. Dominant plants in the area area Paspalum conjugatum and Brachiaria mutica. Preserved_Specimen Erect herb. Yoshida, L. 79.065 Hawaii BISH 1979-03-08
11 Senega paniculata East Maui, Hana District, Kalahu Point, PTBG Kahanu Garden, along Honomaele Stream on eastern boundary disturbed; subject to frequent innudation by flood waters Preserved_Specimen Herb; corolla white Flynn, T.W. 2447 Maui BISH 1987-10-15
12 Senega paniculata Between Hii Flats and Puu Alii Along unpaved rd and fenceline in degraded Dodonaea shrubland. Preserved_Specimen Flowers white, roots scented. Oppenheimer, H.L. 50610 Lanai BISH 2006-05-10
13 Senega paniculata W Maui, Hanaula, Ukumehame Dist In disturbed native scrub along jeep road. Preserved_Specimen Medeiros, A.C. 544 Maui BISH 1983-09-27
14 Senega paniculata South Hilo District: Waiakea, between Stainback Highway and U.H. Agricultural Experimental Station Common in this area; also seen along forestry roads above the experimental station. Preserved_Specimen Herb with white or pinkish flowers. Roots have a wintergreen scent. Herbst, D.R. 5608 Hawaii BISH 1975-12-17
15 Senega paniculata East Maui, Nailiilihaele Stream, Hana Hwy. near mile marker 7 disturbed site near reservoir and road Preserved_Specimen flower white Wagner, W.L. 5845 Maui BISH 1988-03-07
16 Senega paniculata East Maui, Hana, Koolau Forest Reserve, along Hwy. just E of Paakea Gulch; 0.5 mile E of Puaa Kaa State Park gravelly road shoulder Preserved_Specimen flowers white Lammers, T.G. 5560 Maui BISH 1984-06-29
17 Senega paniculata W Maui, between Kaluanui & Pohakupule drainage in area of Honokohau, vicinity of Transect Station 2.185 Shrubby ridgetop. Assoc. veg.: Metrosideros polymorpha, Dicranopteris linearis, Araucaria columnaris, Andropogon virginicus, Psidium guajava, Paspalum conjugatum, Rubus rosifolius. Preserved_Specimen Meidell, J.S. 164 Maui BISH 1997-01-03
18 Senega paniculata on unpaved road leading to Blue Bowl of Waialeale, upper Wailua River disturbed land Preserved_Specimen Stems mostly pale purple, overlaying yellowish green; stem glossy. Leaves yellow-green to a slight blue cast, dull, the petiole white with base of leaf purplish. Infloresence pale purple, though open flowers were mostly white; rachis and sepals purple, the fading flowers nearly entirely so. Hume, L. 399 Kauai BISH 1989-08-06
19 Senega paniculata Honopou, Lupi Road, East wet forest, open roadway in sunny spots Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 1028 Maui BISH 1981-03-11
20 Senega paniculata Moanalua Trail Preserved_Specimen Weed, ca. 1 ft height Kennedy, B. 105 Oahu BISH 2019-06-16
21 Senega paniculata Above Keahua Arboretum, Wailua, on roadside Preserved_Specimen Stem yellow-green to dark purple, glossy. Leaves green to purplish. Infl.: flowers 3X1.5 mm, sepals white w/ purple cast, wings & appendages white, column green, flowers on aging descend, enlarge, becoming pale purple. Hume, L. 515 Kauai BISH 1993-03-04
22 Senega paniculata Honolulu Distr., Wiliwilinui Trail, alongside open dirt track soon after leaving paved road portion of hike. Dry habitat with Casuarina equisetifolia and Acacia confusa overstory along with Psidium cattleianum and Schinus terebinthifolia. Preserved_Specimen Kennedy, B. 147 Oahu BISH 2024-04-28
23 Senega paniculata Kaunakakai, along side of Forestry rd Preserved_Specimen Flowers white, roots with a root-beer like scent for several minutes after pulling. Oppenheimer, H.L. 40401 Molokai BISH 2004-04-02
24 Senega paniculata East Maui, Pua o entabeni, HC 1 370 Hana Hwy, Haiku Preserved_Specimen Annual to 30cm; flowers white; root w. sweet odor. Annable, C.R. 3161 Maui BISH 1996-11-23
25 Senega paniculata Lihue District; Lihue-Koloa Forest Reserve, along jeep road Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 9265 Kauai BISH 1990-06-14
26 Senega paniculata Hawaii Island Nursery, Orchid Land Preserved_Specimen Johnston, E. Hawaii BISH 1990-02-10
27 Senega paniculata Koolau Forest Reserve, Wahinepe Road, near Lyons Decline Preserved_Specimen Adee, K.T. Maui BISH
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