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Sesbania sesban

(L.) Merr. (1912)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Genus: Sesbania

Egyptian rattlepod, Egyptian river hemp, sesban

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Erect shrubs usually 2–3 m tall.

Stems: Older stems glabrate.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound (even-pinnate). Alternate. Leaflets 20–40; 15–20(–30) mm long, 5–10(–15) mm wide; the rachis ending in a short bristle. Apex obtuse to truncate, apiculate or slightly emarginate–mucronate. Base obtuse, oblique. Leaflet surfaces sparsely pubescent, glabrate with age. Leaflet margins entire. The rachis ending in a short bristle. Stipules present; Leaflets stipellate.

Flowers: Flowers 4–13 in axillary racemes 5–12 cm long. rachis. Flowers papilionaceous; Pedicels articulated at apex, bracts and bracteoles minute, hypanthium present; pedicels pubescent when young, glabrate with age. Calyx campanulate, 5-toothed, green or mottled purple, 5–6 mm long, villous within, sometimes sparsely so. Corolla yellow, standard often purple–spotted, 15–20 mm long, wings oblong 12–17 mm long, with 2 appendages near center of base of blade, falcate, transversely ribbed, short–clawed, keel petals incurved, long–clawed, slightly shorter. Stamens 10; upper stamen adherent to the others, the other 9 connate into a tube; anthers dorsifixed, opening by longitudinal slits. Pollen tubes contain alpha ketoglutaric, oxaloacetic and pyruvic acids. Ovary superior.

Fruit: Pods linear; 10–23 cm long; 0.3–0.4 cm wide; twisted when young; tardily dehiscent; transversely septate and slightly constricted between the seeds; apex beaked. Seeds 20–30; ca. 4 mm long; 2–3 mm wide; ellipsoid.

Ploidy: 2n = 12; 14; 16

Habitat: Naturalized in pastures and other disturbed areas.

Elevation Range: 10–60 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
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Notes

  • 10-60 m
  • Description digitized by Alyssa Larson
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • on oahu in 1931
  • wood used for making charcoal for gunpowder

Bibliography

Name Published In: Philipp. J. Sci., C 7: 234 (1912)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:704 (K, O); Parker & Parsons 2016:20 (H)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Sesbania sesban Old Tobacco Road, South Kona Found growing in an abandoned field. Associates: Panicum maximum, Falcataria moluccana, Crotalaria sp., Desmodium triflorum Preserved_Specimen Parsons, R. 177 Hawaii BISH 2014-04-30
2 Sesbania sesban Kewalo, lower Piikoi St., Honolulu roadsides and fence rows Preserved_Specimen Fosberg, F.R. 27149 Oahu BISH 1946-10-31
3 Sesbania sesban Waimanalo Expt. Station, Univ. Hawaii Preserved_Specimen 12' tall, large spreading shrub Evans, D. 12 Oahu BISH 1983-10-25
4 Sesbania sesban Waimea Valley Preserved_Specimen tree of 18 ft. Krauss, N.L.H. 15 Kauai BISH 1944-01-01
5 Sesbania sesban Waimanalo Expt. Station, Univ. Hawaii Preserved_Specimen shrubs 5-6', sparsely branching. Callosities with free points 4-4.5 mm long Evans, D. 12 Oahu BISH 1983-10-25
6 Sesbania sesban Waimanalo Expt. Station, Univ. Hawaii Preserved_Specimen this form with red stems and minute prickles on stem and rachis Evans, D. 13 Oahu BISH 1983-10-12
7 Sesbania sesban Waimanalo Expt. Station, Univ. Hawaii Preserved_Specimen young stems and shoots with white woolley vestiture. Leaves on older branches clustered. Evans, D. 9 Oahu BISH 1983-10-25
8 Sesbania sesban Waimanalo Expt. Station, Univ. Hawaii Preserved_Specimen Stems dark red Evans, D. 2 Oahu BISH 1983-10-25
9 Sesbania sesban Waimanalo Expt. Station, Univ. Hawaii Preserved_Specimen Callosities at base of standard with free points 3-4 mm long Evans, D. 10 Oahu BISH 1983-10-12
10 Sesbania sesban Waimanalo Expt. Station, Univ. Hawaii Preserved_Specimen stems red to reddish brown with minute prickles Evans, D. Oahu BISH 1983-10-15
11 Sesbania sesban Waimanalo Expt. Station, Univ. Hawaii Preserved_Specimen young stems reddish; pods held stiffly outwards Evans, D. 2 Oahu BISH 1983-10-25
12 Sesbania sesban Kamehameha Heigts, new site of Kamehameha School Preserved_Specimen shrub of 12', flowers purple and yellow Ewart III, G.R. Oahu BISH 1931-02-19
13 Sesbania sesban Waimanalo Expt. Station, Univ. Hawaii Preserved_Specimen this form with green stems and no minute prickles Evans, D. 13 Oahu BISH 1983-10-12
14 Sesbania sesban Waimanalo Expt. Station, Univ. Hawaii Preserved_Specimen Evans, D. 4 Oahu BISH 1983-10-25
15 Sesbania sesban Waimanalo Expt. Station, Univ. of Hawaii Preserved_Specimen two flower color forms; this pale yellow Evans, D. Oahu BISH 1983-10-25
16 Sesbania sesban unknown Preserved_Specimen BISH
17 Sesbania sesban Kekaha pasture Preserved_Specimen 25' tree Degener, O. 23955 Kauai BISH 1955-09-21
18 Sesbania sesban Kapolei, intersection of Renton Rd. and Kapolei Pkwy In drainage canal, perennially wet area Preserved_Specimen Three trees seen, to about 5 m tall, fruits pendant, pods retained at maturity Faccenda, K. 3030 Oahu BISH 2023-02-18
19 Sesbania sesban Waimea Valley near stream Preserved_Specimen Bushes 5-6 m; flowers bluish; pods numerous Nightingale, Mrs. G.T. Kauai BISH 1948-03-25
20 Sesbania sesban Kewalo, lower Piikoi Street roadsides and fence rows Preserved_Specimen Shrub of 4 m, diffusely branched, flowers deep blackish-purple without, orange tinged with red within Fosberg, F.R. 27149 Oahu BISH 1946-10-31
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