Fabaceae
Senna

Senna alata (L.) Roxb.

First published in Fl. Ind., ed. 1832. 2: 349 (1832)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. Mexico to Tropical America. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is has environmental uses and social uses, as animal food, a poison and a medicine and for food.

Descriptions

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–1000 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bolívar, Caldas, Cauca, Chocó, Guainía, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Risaralda, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vichada.
Habit
Shrub, Small tree.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC. National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
Vernacular
Bagua, Bajagua, Barajo, Frisolillos, Galve, Galve amarillo, Glaves, Kasyalata, Lenguevaca, Lucutema, Mahagüilla, Mahaquilla, Majaguillo, Martingalbe
[UPFC]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/144263375/149048081

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 1000 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Valle del Cauca.
Morphology General Habit
Arbusto, arbolito
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

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
babacú, bajagua, barbasco, bicho, bruscón, cacaona, dorancé, dorancel, favoranto, frisolato, frisolito, gabeche, galve, galves, hierba de playa, lengüevaca, lucutema, lucutena, mahaquilla, majagüilla, majagüillo, majagüito, martinable, martingalvis, matapasta, mocuteno, monteyoco, mucuteno, raboerratón, yerba de playa
[UNAL]

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
[AERP]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Cultivated, Guinea-Congolian anthropic landscapes, Guinea-Congolia/Sudania regional transition zone; anthropic landscapes.
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub/Tree
Vernacular
Acapulco, Candelabra Bush, Candle Bush, Candle-bush, Candlestick Plant, Candlesticks, Carrion Crow Bush, Casse De Java, Catepan, Catepen, Cattiping, Dadmurdan, Dartres, Dartrier, Datkapat, Epis d'Or, Fleur a Dartre, Fleur St. Christophe, Flor Del Secreto,
[ILDIS]

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Protein Content

16.10% Entire seed/nut. Moisture content not stated (Barclay & Earle, 1974)

[SID]

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

Morphology General Habit
A soft-wooded shrub, up to 15 ft. or more high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Yellow flowers in stout dense erect racemes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits black when ripe
Ecology
In villages and clearings, chiefly in forest regions.
[FWTA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Herb or shrub 1–6 m. high.
Morphology Stem
Young stems puberulous with minute spreading hairs, eglandular.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves mostly 30–75 cm. long; petiole and rhachis eglandular. Stipules obliquely triangular, 0.6–1.3 cm. long, 0.3–1 cm. wide. Leaflets in 5–7 (–13) pairs, oblong-elliptic to obovate-elliptic, mostly 5–19 cm. long and 2.5–12 cm. wide, rounded and usually retuse at apex, usually with a short mucro 0.5–1.5 mm. long, puberulous especially on midrib, lateral nerves and margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes (including peduncle) 15–70 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts subtending flower-buds large, orange, 2–2.8 cm. long, 1.2–1.7 cm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals bright yellow, 1.7–2.2 cm. long, 0.9–1.2 cm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens normally 10; filaments straight or nearly so; 2 anthers large, 5 medium, 3 small.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods 12–17(–19) cm. long, 1.3–2 cm. wide (to 3 cm. across wings), dehiscent, transversely septate, with a crenate-margined wing running longitudinally along the middle of each valve.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds flattened at right angles to the axis of the pod, deltoid-rhombic, acuminate to the hilum, with a longitudinal ridge along each face, 6–8 mm. long, 4–5 mm. wide, 1.5–2.5 mm. thick.
Habitat
Uncertain, but in the Flora area doubtless always an escape from cultivation; near sea-level to 460 m.
Distribution
P T3 T6 Z pantropical, originally from South America
[FTEA]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Use
Environmental, Medicine, Toxins, Weed
[ILDIS]

Common Names

English
Seven Golden Candlesticks

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    • International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Seed Information Database

    • Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. (2019) Seed Information Database (SID). Version 7.1. Available from: http://data.kew.org/sid/ (September 2019)
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0