Fabaceae
Senna

Senna petersiana (Bolle) Lock

First published in Kew Bull. 43: 340 (1988)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Cameroon to Ethiopia and S. Africa, Madagascar. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Leguminosae, R.K. Brummitt, A.C. Chikuni, J.M. Lock and R.M. Polhill. Flora Zambesiaca 3:2. 2007

Morphology General Habit
Shrub or small tree 2–6 m high, sometimes described as scandent.
Morphology Branches
Branchlets brown, puberulous to pubescent, longitudinally ridged when young.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves paripinnate; stipules 10–15 mm long, leafy, cordate-auriculate to reniform, often caudate-attenuate, pubescent, subpersistent; petiole 1.5–4.5 cm long,>i> pubescent;>i> rachis up to 20 cm long,>i> appressed pubescent, with scattered elongate reddish glands among the hairs, with a stalked botuliform often caducous reddish gland 1.5–2 mm long between each of the proximal 1–4 leaflet pairs; leaflets in 6–10 pairs, 4–7 × 1.5–3.5 cm, the middle ones usually the largest,>i> ovate to ovate-elliptic, base cuneate to rounded or cordate, often slightly asymmetrical, apex acute to acuminate, mucronate,>i> sparsely hairy above, more densely so beneath, with appressed hairs and reddish elongated glands;>i> petiolules up to 1 mm long, appressed-pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences paniculate, terminal, made up of corymbose racemes; primary inflorescence branches (racemes) up to 9 cm long, subtended by reduced caducous leaves with few pinnae; stipules of these similar to those of foliage leaves, relatively persistent; proximal bracts of racemes very broadly ovate, acuminate, distal ones narrower, all usually densely pubescent, subpersistent; proximal pedicels up to 5 cm long at anthesis; distal ones shorter.>i> Sepals 5, dimorphic, three c.12 × 10 mm, two c.7 × 5 mm,>i> broadly ovate-elliptic,>i> pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals golden yellow, unequal, clawed, the largest up to 22 × 11 mm, oblong, somewhat asymmetrical, rounded at apex, the others broadly elliptic to ovate, rounded or retuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 10, three large with arcuate fertile anthers 7–10 mm long and filaments 8–12 mm long, four fertile with slightly curved anthers 6–8 mm long and straight filaments c.1 mm long, and three small, probably sterile, with reniform to subspherical anthers and straight filaments 2–4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 10–12 mm long, straight or curved, terete,>i> densely appressed-pubescent with white hairs and reddish glands; style 4.5–5.5 mm long,>i> terete, glabrous; stigma terminal, recessed, surrounded by a fringe of hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod black with brown margins, linear, 13–24 × 0.8–1.2 cm, straight or irregularly curved, chambered, glabrous or appressed-pubescent, indehiscent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds brown, in a single row,>i> 5–6 × 4 mm, obovate, flattened, with two narrowly elliptic areoles on the narrow faces.
[FZ]

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]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/146208340/146208342

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian woodland, Zambezian wooded grassland, Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket, Sudanian woodland
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, Not climbing, Shrub/Tree
Vernacular
Dwarf Cassia, Eared Cassia, Maniboa, Rindisindi, Sangaravatsy, Tsiambaravatsy, Tsileondoza
[ILDIS]

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

Morphology General Habit
Shrub or tree 0.6–12 m. high.
Morphology General Bark
Bark rough, fissured.
Morphology Branches
Branchlets from subglabrous to densely pubescent or sometimes tomentose.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves:petiole eglandular; rhachis with a prominent projecting but rather caducous gland between some or all of the 4–10(–13) pairs of leaflets. Stipules conspicuous, leafy, semi-cordate to reniform, often caudate-attenuate at one end, to 2.5 cm. long, ± persistent. Leaflets lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, sometimes ovate or ovate-elliptic, almost symmetrical, (2–)2.8–10.3 cm. long, (0.7–)0.9–4.2 cm. wide, gradually ± acuminate, rarely acumen obscure and short.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes corymbose, aggregated into ± corymbose terminal panicles.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals rounded at apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals bright yellow, obovate, 1.5–3.2 cm. long, unequal, the largest somewhat oblique and dentate-margined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens:3 with large anthers and long filaments, 4 with medium anthers and short filaments, 3 with small rounded anthers and short filaments.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pods ± compressed, linear, 12–25 cm. long, 0.9–1.5 cm. wide, indehiscent, the valves ultimately breaking away from the prominent and transversely cracked sutures.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds many, somewhat compressed, ovoid or suborbicular, 5–7 × 4–6 mm., brown, with an olive areole ± 4–5 × 2.5 mm. on each face or marginal.
Habitat
In or on edge of rain-forest, riverine forest, deciduous woodland, coastal evergreen bushland and wooded grassland; 12–2130 m.
Distribution
K3 K5 T1 T4 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2 U3 U4 Z eastern Africa from Ethiopia and the Sudan Republic southwards to Mozambique and the Transvaal, extending westwards to Central African Republic (Haut-Ubangi) and Cameroun Republic
[FTEA]

Uses

Use
Medicine
[ILDIS]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • 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

  • 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 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

  • 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