Sesbania pachycarpa DC.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136662125/136662129

Conservation

LC - least concern

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect semi-woody annual or biennial plant, 1–2.5 m. tall, glabrous throughout except for a few scattered hairs on the very young leaves, a few woolly hairs on the margin of the calyx and the pubescent tip of the style; stems sometimes sparsely aculeate.

Morphology Leaves

Stipules linear-lanceolate, erect, up to 11 mm. long, caducous; leaf-rhachis nearly always with prickles, especially on its lower surface towards the base, up to 40 cm. long; leaflets in 30–60 pairs, up to 22 mm. long and 5 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes 3–18-flowered, the rhachis up to 5 cm. long, including a peduncle of up to 1.5 cm. which is not aculeate; pedicels 6–11 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle

Receptacle 1 mm., calyx-tube 4 mm., teeth broadly triangular, slightly acuminate, 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Blade of standard ± orbicular, 12–13 mm. long, 13–16 mm. wide; outer margin of appendages rounded with no trace of a free tip (fig. 49/10b, p. 332); claw 4 mm. long; blade of wing 10–12 mm. long, 4–5 mm. wide, broadly toothed, not hooked, at the base; claw 3–4 mm. long; blade of keel 5–6 mm. long, 3 mm. wide at the base and 7–9 mm. near the apex; basal tooth at an angle of 80°–100° with the 7–8 mm. long claw (fig. 49/10a).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filament-sheath 11–13(–15) mm., free parts 4–6 mm., anthers 0.8 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary glabrous, 25–35-ovulate; style 5 mm. long, pubescent towards the tip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod ± erect, slightly curved, not torulose, 14–20 cm. long, 3–5 mm. wide, ± 3 mm. thick at the centre and 2 mm. at the sutures, 20–30-seeded; septa 5–7 mm. apart.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds brown, not mottled, 4–4.5 × 2–3 × 2 mm.; hilum 0.5 mm. long.

Habitat

Temporary swamps and in Sorghum fields, where its growth is sometimes encouraged; 1000–1200 m.; rainfall 1100–1400 mm.

Distribution

U1 U3 U4 from Cape Verde Is. and Senegal to Eritrea, Congo, Angolaa subspecies in South West Africa

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian freshwater swamp and aquatic vegetation, Sudanian freshwater swamp and aquatic vegetation

Morphology General Habit

Annual, Not climbing, Herb/Shrub

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

Morphology General Habit

A herb 2–5 ft. high

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Yellow flowers, the standard purple-spotted

Ecology

Usually by water or introduced.