Senna occidentalis (L.) Link

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Protein Content

18.60% Entire seed/nut. Moisture content not stated (Barclay & Earle, 1974)

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Erect, sometimes slightly woody herb, 0.2–2 m high

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 10–25 cm long, with a large squat ovoid or globose sessile gland near base of petiole; leaflets (3–)4–5(–6) pairs, lanceolate to ovate-elliptic, (2.5–)5–12 x (1.5–)2–4 cm, acute or acuminate, glabrous except for ciliolate margins and inconspicuous scattered glands beneath

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes from upper axils, very short, almost umbellate; peduncles 3–5(–8) mm long; bracts acute

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals obtuse

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals yellow, obovate, 0.9–1.5 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

3 large, 4 medium-sized, 3 small

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods linear, usually slightly upcurved, (5–)8–13 x 0.5–1 cm, not or tardily dehiscent, subglabrous, transversely septate within

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds many, transversly arranged, grey-brown, ovate-circular, compressed, 4.5–5 x 3.75–4.5 mm, minutely pimpled and with an elliptic areole on each face.

Distribution

N1; S1–3 pantropical, possibly of American origin.

Ecology

Altitude up to c. 1400 m.

Vernacular

Coffee senna (English); diir-jinni, jibaari, shuna-shuna (Somali).

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Orinoquia. Elevation range: 0–2350 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Arauca, Atlántico, Bolívar, Boyacá, Caldas, Caquetá, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó, Cundinamarca, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupés, Vichada.

Habit

Herb, Shrub, Subshrub, Small tree.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.

Vernacular

Aitera, Alcoparro, Bicho, Bicho de cafe, Bruca, Brusca, Burücunae (Sikuani), Busaca, Café de brusco, Cafe furrusco, Café furrusco, Café moucha

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/130525346/158506718

Conservation

LC - least concern

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

ahitera, alcaparro, bicho, bicho de café, brusca, busaca, café chilinchil, café churrusco, café de brusca, café furrusco, cafecillo, cafelillo, chilinche, chilinchil, chilinchile, comida de murciélago, frijolato, furusca, platanillo, potra, potre, yerba de gallinazo, yerba de la potra, yerba del gallinazo

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Naturalizada en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 2350 m.; Amazonia, Orinoquia.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba, subarbusto, arbusto, arbolito

Conservation

Preocupación Menor

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian anthropic landscapes., Guinea-Congolian anthropic landscapes, Guinea-Congolia/Sudania regional transition zone; anthropic landscapes., Somalia-Masai anthropic landscapes

Morphology General Habit

Annual/Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub

Vernacular

Arsenic Bean, Bicho, Brusca, Brusca Hembra, Brusca Macho, Cafe De Bonpland, Cafe De Campo, Cafe Negre, Cafetillo, Cafeton, Casse Fetide, Casse Puante, Chilinchile, Coffee Senna, Coffee Weed, Coffeeweed, Cornezuelo, Dandelion, Fedegosa, Fedegoso, Fedegoso-

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Vernacular

DANDELION

Morphology General Habit

An erect annual herb up to about 1 m tall, often subwoody near the base, glabrous or nearly so

Morphology Leaves

Leaves long-petioled, the petiole bearing a sessile globose gland near the base; leaflets mostly 4–6 pairs, ovate or lance-ovate, 3–7 cm long, acuminate at the apex, the margins finely ciliate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes few-flowered, in the upper axils; sepals greenish, 6–9 mm long; petals yellow, twice as long as the sepals. Perfect stamens 6, two of them longer than the other four, and 4 staminodes. Ovary pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods oblong-linear, slightly curved, 6–12 cm long, 6–9 mm broad, slightly grooved transversely between the seeds, minutely puberulous or glabrate; seeds flattened-obovoid, brown, 3–4 mm long.

Distribution

Cayman Islands. Southern U.S.A., West Indies, and continental tropical America; naturalised in the Old World tropics.

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit

Erect herb, sometimes slightly woody, 0.15–2 m. high.

Morphology Stem

Stems subglabrous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves up to ± 20(–25) cm. long; petioles shortly above base with a large sessile squat hemispherical to ovoid or subglobose gland; rhachis eglandular. Leaflets in (3–)4–5(–6) pairs (in East Africa), ovate to ovate-elliptic or (sometimes) lanceolate, (2.5–)5–12 cm. long, rarely more, (1.5–)2–4 cm. wide, acute or acuminate at apex, glabrous except for ciliolate margins and inconspicuous scattered glands beneath.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes from upper axils, very short, almost umbellate; peduncles 3–5 (very rarely and exceptionally to 8) mm. long (in East Africa).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Bracts acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals normally glabrous outside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals yellow, obovate, 0.9–1.5 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 10; 2 anticous rather large on long filaments, 4 smaller on shorter filaments, 3 (one of them anticous) much smaller.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods slightly curved upwards or sometimes nearly straight, linear, (5–)8–12.5(–13) cm. long, 0.5–1.0 cm. wide, not or tardily dehiscent, compressed, brown, subglabrous, septate, many-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds compressed, lying at right angles to long axis of pod, grey-brown, ovate-suborbicular, 4.5–5 × 3.75–4.5 mm.; testa minutely pimpled, with an elliptic areole ± 2.5 × 1.5 mm. on each face.

Figures

Fig. 14.

Habitat

Usually a weed of cultivation, roadsides and waste ground near villages and buildings; also recorded from grassland and lake-shores; 0–1740 m.

Distribution

K3 K4 K5 K7 P T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1 pantropical, possibly originating in tropical America

Caesalpiniaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit

A glabrous herb or undershrub, woody below, annual or of 2–3 years’ duration

Ecology

Found mainly near villages

Note

Much like the preceding (Cassia sophera).

Use

Roasted seed used as a coffee substitute Leaf-infusions with pain-killing and other medicinal properties.

Use Environmental

Environmental uses.

Use Food

Used for food.

Use Materials

Used as material.

Use Medicines

Medical uses.

Use Poisons

Poisons.

Use

Environmental, Food and Drink, Medicine, Miscellaneous, Toxins, Weed

Use

In some countries, the roasted and pulverised seeds are used as a substitute for coffee.