Sesbania Adans.

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

Morphology General Habit

Herbs, shrubs, or small trees; stipules soon falling

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, even-pinnate, the rhachis ending in a setaceous point; leaflets numerous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence axillary, racemose, usually few-flowered; flowers yellow, purplish or variegated and of small to medium size, or else white or red and of large size; calyx broadly campanulate, 5-lobed; standard ovate to orbicular, spreading or reflexed; wings oblong, clawed, with a basal auricle; keel sharply incurved, clawed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens geniculate near the base; ovary short-stipulate; ovules many; style incurved, glabrous, the stigma small, capitate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit linear to subterete, beaked, transversely septate, dehiscent by 2 valves; seeds cylindrical-oblong, brown, smooth.

Distribution

A genus of 50 species widespread in the tropics and subtropics.

Leguminosae, R.K. Brummitt, D.K. Harder, G.P. Lewis, J.M. Lock, R.M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:3. 2007

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual or briefly perennial herbs or softly woody shrubs or small trees, often producing a dark gummy juice when the bark is cut.

Morphology General Indumentum

Hairs simple, white or golden.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves paripinnate, the rachis channelled above; leaflets often in more than 10 pairs, oblong, entire; stipels usually present at all petiolules; stipules truncate at the base, occasionally persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in axillary racemes; bracts and bracteoles present but often caducous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx campanulate, usually sparsely woolly at the margin; teeth subequal, shorter than the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla glabrous, blue, mauve, white, red or orange, or more commonly yellow with the standard usually streaked and spotted or continuously veined with purple, the claw with two vertical parallel or divergent variously shaped appendages (these rarely lacking, as in S. grandiflora); blade of wing with transverse lamellate sculpturing (except in >i>S.>i>grandiflora), usually toothed or hooked at the base, the claw much shorter than the blade and shorter than that of the keel; blade of keel rounded below, rounded or broadly pointed at the tip, usually toothed at the base, not, or little, longer than the claw.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Upper stamen free, sharply bent near the base corresponding to the conspicuous auricles at the base of the filament sheath, the sheath longer than the free parts of the filaments which are curved upwards; anthers all alike, oblong-elliptic (much longer than wide in >i>S.grandiflora), dorsifixed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary glabrous or rarely pilose with soft spreading hairs; style glabrous or, less often, pubescent near the tip; stigma small, globose or ovoid.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod usually long, dehiscent, rostrate, usually shortly stipitate, sometimes winged, transversely septate, (2)4–51-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds usually ellipsoid or cylindrical, rarely subreniform; hilum circular or, rarely, broadly elliptical, often surrounded by a narrow rim aril.

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual, or briefly perennial, herbs or softly woody shrubs or small trees, often producing a dark gummy juice when the bark is cut

Morphology General Indumentum

Hairs simple, white or golden, never brown or black

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules never spurred or deeply lobed at the base; leaves abruptly pinnate, the rhachis channelled above, usually stipellate, the leaflets usually in more than 10 pairs, oblong, entire

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in axillary racemes; bracts and bracteoles present but often very caducous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx bell-shaped, sparsely woolly at the margin; teeth subequal, not arranged in 2 lips, shorter than the tube

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla glabrous, in East African species yellow, the standard nearly always streaked and spotted with purple and having on its claw 2 vertical parallel or divergent variously shaped appendages; blade of wing transversely ribbed, usually toothed or hooked at the base, the claw much shorter than the blade and than that of the keel; keel of a paler yellow than rest of corolla, its blade rounded below, rounded or broadly pointed at the tip, toothed at the base, not, or but little, longer than the claw

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Vexillary stamen wholly free, sharply bent near the base where it may adhere to the appendages of the standard when the flower opens; filament-sheath longer than the free parts of the filaments, which are curved upwards and are not dilated at the tip; anthers all alike, oblong-elliptic, dorsifixed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary glabrous or rarely pilose with soft spreading hairs; style glabrous or, less often, pubescent near the tip; stigma small, globose or ovoid

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod long, dehiscent, rostrate, usually shortly stipitate, transversely septate, 8–50-seeded

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds usually ellipsoid; hilum circular or broadly elliptical near the centre of the longer side of the seed, often surrounded by a narrow rim-aril.

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

Morphology General Habit

Herbs or softly woody shrubs or small trees

Morphology Leaves

Leaves paripinnate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes axillary

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx truncate to shortly 5-lobed, sparsely woolly at margin

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla glabrous, usually yellow, the standard nearly always streaked and spotted with purple and having on its claw 2 variously shaped appendages

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Vexillary stamen free

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod long, dehiscent, rostrate, 8–50-seeded.

Distribution

Some 60 species in the tropics and subtropics, more than 30 of which in Africa.

Ecology

Nearly always growing in, at least seasonally, wet places.