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Senna didymobotrya

(Fresen.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby (1982)

This name is accepted

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

African senna tree, popcorn senna

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Spreading, foetid shrubs 1–5 m tall.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound. Alternate. Leaflets (8)9–16(–18) pairs, opposite. Leaflets elliptic–oblong. Leaflets slightly smaller at either end of the rachis, 2–6.5 cm long, 0.8–2.5 cm wide. Apex obtuse to subacute, aristate–mucronate. Base obliquely rounded to subcordate. Surfaces pubescent or upper surface sometimes glabrous. Leaflet margins entire. Petiolate; petiolar nectaries absent. Stipules reflexed, ovate–cordate, 6–17 mm long, tardily deciduous.

Flowers: Flowers in racemes 10–40 cm long. Flowers caesalpinaceous; pedicels 4–10 mm long, bracts petaloid, brownish green to blackish green, (8–)10–17 mm long, bracteoles absent. Calyx lobes oblong–obovate, 9–14 mm long, lobes 5, imbricate. Corolla of 5 petals, bright yellow, subequal, oblong–obovate to obovate, 17–27 mm long. Filaments of 4 median Stamens 2.5–3.3 mm long, those of 2 fertile Stamens 3–4 mm long, that of abaxial stamen 4–5 mm long, straight, shorter than to not more than twice as long as the anthers; anthers of 4 median Stamens and central one sterile, fertile anthers, basifixed, usually modified into sets of 4 median and abaxial anthers. Ovary superior.

Fruit: Pods spreading or ascending; chartaceous at maturity; linear–oblong; strongly compressed; 7–12 cm long; 1.5–2.5 cm wide; dehiscent; the cavity with narrow membranous interseminal septa. Seeds pale tan overlain with brownish green; compressed; 6–8 mm long; smooth or obscurely pitted; crackled with age; the areole 3–4 mm long.

Ploidy: 2n = 28

Habitat:

Elevation Range: Low elevations.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Only found in cultivation
Lana'i Only found in cultivation
Maui Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Notes

  • Description digitized by Olivia Kraus
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • low elevations

Bibliography

Name Published In: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 35: 467 (1982)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:698 (K, EM); Staples & Herbst 2005:325 (KEY), 326 (DESCR)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Senna didymobotrya Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Pearsall, G.A. Oahu BISH 1950-03-20
2 Senna didymobotrya East Maui, Makawao Preserved_Specimen Christ, J.H. Maui BISH 1958-04-10
3 Senna didymobotrya Honolulu, 1420 Piikoi, J.W.Caum's property Preserved_Specimen Egler, F.E. Oahu BISH 1937-05-08
4 Senna didymobotrya Kaneohe Bay Preserved_Specimen Pearsall, G.A. Oahu BISH
5 Senna didymobotrya Honolulu, 2627 Paaiku St., C.D.Miller's residence Preserved_Specimen Price, J.A. Oahu BISH 1943-08-17
6 Senna didymobotrya Princeville, across from Hanalei Valley lookout along road Preserved_Specimen Shrubby to 7'. Buds and calyx lobes dark brown almost black. Petals bright yellow Flynn, T.W. 1725 Kauai BISH 1986-05-14
7 Senna didymobotrya old Kula Road, Waialae Gulch gulch bottom Preserved_Specimen sepals brown to nearly black; petals yellow Wagner, W.L. 5670 Maui BISH 1986-07-12
8 Senna didymobotrya old Kula Road, Waialae Gulch pasture Preserved_Specimen Several dozen 3-4 m tall, dense rounded shrubs Hobdy, R.W. 2570 Maui BISH 1986-06-19
9 Senna didymobotrya Haena along road Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 21088 Kauai BISH 1950-01-29
10 Senna didymobotrya Makaiwa moist, shaded gully Preserved_Specimen Shrub ~15', with smoothish, dark brown bark; yellow flowers; unpleasant odor when crushed. Herbst, D.R. 858 Maui BISH 1968-01-06
11 Senna didymobotrya Makaiwa moist, shaded gully Preserved_Specimen Shrub ~15', with smoothish, dark brown bark; yellow flowers; unpleasant odor when crushed. Herbst, D.R. 858 Maui BISH 1968-01-06
12 Senna didymobotrya Hwy. 50 just E of Puhi, S side of road pasture fence line Preserved_Specimen Corolla bright yellow, buds dark green almost black Flynn, T.W. 982 Kauai BISH 1985-01-10
13 Senna didymobotrya Honolulu: Nuuanu Valley; Foster Botanic Garden full sun Preserved_Specimen Shrub to 4 m, much-branched at the base. The petals are buttercup yellow. Unpleasant odor Lau, J. 1414 Oahu BISH 1985-09-12
14 Senna didymobotrya Princeville, across from Hanalei Valley lookout Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 5172 Kauai BISH 1983-12-21
15 Senna didymobotrya Honolulu, 1420 Piikoi St., E.L. Caum's residence Preserved_Specimen Shrub to 5 m Egler, F.E. 37262 Oahu BISH 1937-08-20
16 Senna didymobotrya Oahu Preserved_Specimen 1.5 m shrub; abundant fruit Egler, F.E. 371 Oahu BISH 1937-05-18
17 Senna didymobotrya East Maui, Kula, Kalialinui Gulch Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 2599 Maui BISH 1986-07-01
18 Senna didymobotrya Kaiholenaliilii Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 531 Lanai BISH 1930-05-12
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