Senna bicapsularis

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Senna bicapsularis
Cassia bicapsularis (1).jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Genus: Senna
Species:
S. bicapsularis
Binomial name
Senna bicapsularis
Synonyms

Numerous, see text

Senna bicapsularis is a species of the legume genus Senna , native to northern South America, from Panama south to Venezuela and Colombia, and also the West Indies. [1] Common names include rambling senna (formerly "cassia"), winter cassia, Christmas bush, money bush, and yellow candlewood. [2] In Florida, Senna pendula is usually cultivated as, and misapplied to, S. bicapsularis. [3] [4]

Contents

Description

It is a semi-evergreen shrub growing to 3.5 m tall with a low spreading crown that reproduces by seed. It can grow from 2 - 12 metres tall and it branches from near the base.

The leaves are 2.5–9 cm long, pinnate, with six to eight leaflets; the leaflets are 1.6–4.5 cm long and 1.1–2.3 cm broad. The yellow flowers are produced in masses with a few together on short racemes and 12–16 mm long. The plant flowers from autumn to winter, attracting bees and butterflies. [2] [5]

Senna bicapsularis is distinguished from Senna pendula by having 3 pairs of leaflets on each leaf and elongated pedicels (flower stalks), while 'S. pendula' has 4-7 pairs of leaflets on each leaf and a gland between each pair of leaflets, with shorter flower stalks. S. bicapsularis flowers from late fall to winter depending on climate, whilst 'S. pendula' can flower from as early as late summer. Senna pendula can grow very easily from seed, while bicapsularis has a tough seed coat that needs mechanical scarification to sprout with success. [6]

Uses

The Nahuas of San Luis Potosi resort to this plant for the healing of the enchantment. For this reason, the patient is cleaned with seven leaves of its leaves, passing them throughout the body. Likewise, as part of this treatment, while the healer prays, he perfumes the patient's body with a charcoal, rosemary and copal incense and then cleanses it with an egg to remove the "bad air" that has taken possession of his body.

The leaves are edible and are used to cure erysipelas in Morelos, and as an antiseptic in Oaxaca. The sap from emaciated leaves can be used externally, with salt, to heal rashes, sores, bites, stings, eczema, scabies, ringworm and thrush. In the 20th century, Maximino Martínez points out the following uses: cathartic and to counteract the effects of arthropod stings.

The seedpod flavour resembles tamarind. The leaves can be cooked as a vegetable, which can be mixed with other leaves, beans or peas.

Invasive species

It is naturalised and invasive in several coastal areas in the tropics, including Tanzania, Kenya, the Galápagos Islands and New Caledonia, where it is found in roadsides and disturbed areas, wooded grasslands, fallow land and riparian zones. [2] [7]

Chemistry

The leaves and stems contain chaksinelike alkaloids. The seeds contain galactomannan. The presence in the plant of cassin , 2,6-dialkyl-3-hydroxypyridine and socassidine has also been reported

Synonyms

Botanical illustration Fragmenta botanica, figuris coloratis illustrata (T. 58) BHL287687.jpg
Botanical illustration

Senna bicapsularis has been described under a wide variety of names that are today considered its synonyms. Some of these were also applied to related plants in error. This phenomenon has happened with other taxa, which were mis-applied to this plant: [8]

Cassia bicapsularissensu Bojer is erroneous for Senna pendula .
Cassia bicapsularis of other authors is erroneous for Senna pendula var. glabrata
Cassia aristataBenth. is a synonym of Chamaecrista aristata
Cassia emarginataClos is a synonym of Senna candolleana
Cassia emarginataMill. is a synonym of Chamaecrista pilosa
Cassia laevigataWilld. is a synonym of Senna septemtrionalis
Cassia laevigata of other authors is erroneous for Senna occidentalis

Footnotes

  1. USDA (2007)
  2. 1 2 3 PIER (2006)
  3. Christmas Cassia Causes Confusion By Marc Frank, University of Florida
  4. Senna bicapsularis Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.
  5. Christmas Senna (Senna bicapsularis) by The National Gardening Association.
  6. CASSIA BICAPSULARIS floridagardener.com
  7. Henderson, L. (2001). Alien weeds and invasive plants. A complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute Handbook No. 12, 300pp. PPR, ARC South Africa.
  8. ILDIS (2005)

Related Research Articles

<i>Cassia</i> (genus) Genus of legumes

Cassia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, and the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Species are known commonly as cassias. Cassia is also the English common name of some species in the genus Cinnamomum of the family Lauraceae. Species of the genera Senna and Chamaecrista were previously included in Cassia. Cassia now generally includes the largest species of the legume subtribe Cassiinae, usually mid-sized to tall trees.

<i>Senna spectabilis</i> Species of legume

Senna spectabilis is a plant species of the legume family (Fabaceae) in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae native to South and Central America. They are often grown as an ornamental in front yards, parks, gardens, buildings etc. due to their bright yellow flowers that bloom during the summer months. They are also known as golden wonder tree, American cassia, popcorn tree, Cassia excelsa, golden shower tree or Archibald's cassia.

<i>Senna obtusifolia</i> Species of legume

Senna obtusifolia, known by the common names Chinese senna, American sicklepod, sicklepod, etc., is a plant in the genus Senna, sometimes separated in the monotypic genus Diallobus. It grows wild in North, Central, and South America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, and is considered a particularly serious weed in many places. It has a long-standing history of confusion with Senna tora and that taxon in many sources actually refers to the present species.

<i>Senna tora</i> Species of flowering plant

Senna tora is a plant species in the family Fabaceae and the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Its name is derived from its Sinhala name tora (තෝර). It grows wild in most of the tropics and is considered a weed in many places. Its native range is in Central America. Its most common English name is sickle senna or sickle wild sensitive-plant. Other common names include sickle pod, tora, coffee pod and foetid cassia. It is often confused with Chinese senna or sickle pod, Senna obtusifolia.

<i>Senna</i> (plant) Genus of flowering leguminous plants

Senna, the sennas, is a large genus of flowering plants in the legume family. This diverse genus is native throughout the tropics, with a small number of species in temperate regions. The number of species is estimated to be from about 260 to 350. The type species for the genus is Senna alexandrina. About 50 species of Senna are known in cultivation.

<i>Senna corymbosa</i> Species of legume

Senna corymbosa is an ornamental plant in the genus Senna. It is also known as Argentine senna, Argentina senna, buttercup bush, flowering senna, Texas flowery senna or tree senna.

<i>Maackia</i> Genus of legumes

Maackia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. There are about 12 species, all native to eastern Asia, with six endemic to China. The generic name honors the botanist Richard Maack.

<i>Senna alexandrina</i> Species of legume

Senna alexandrina is an ornamental plant in the genus Senna. It is used in herbalism. It grows natively in upper Egypt, especially in the Nubian region, and near Khartoum (Sudan), where it is cultivated commercially. It is also grown elsewhere, notably in India and Somalia.

<i>Albizia lebbeck</i> Species of legume

Albizia lebbeck is a species of plant in the family Fabaceae, native to the Indian subcontinent and Myanmar. It is widely cultivated and naturalised in other tropical and subtropical regions, including Australia. Common names in English include siris, Indian siris, East Indian walnut, Broome raintree, lebbeck, lebbek tree, frywood, koko and woman's tongue tree. The latter name is a play on the sound the seeds make as they rattle inside the pods. Siris is also a common name of the genus Albizia.

Cassia aldabrensis is a species of plant in the family Fabaceae endemic to Assumption and Aldabra near the Seychelles. It is threatened by habitat destruction.

<i>Ormosia</i> Genus of legumes

Ormosia is a genus of legumes. The more than 100 living species, mostly trees or large shrubs, are distributed throughout the tropical regions of the world, some extending into temperate zones, especially in East Asia. A few species are threatened by habitat destruction, while the Hainan ormosia is probably extinct already.

Senna wislizeni, commonly called Wislizenus' senna or shrubby senna. Formerly in the "wastebin taxon" Cassia sensu lato, it is now placed in the genus Senna or sometimes separated in Palmerocassia together with Senna unijuga.

<i>Senna auriculata</i> Species of legume

Senna auriculata is a leguminous tree in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is commonly known by its local names matura tea tree, avaram or ranawara, or the English version avaram senna. It is the State flower of Indian state of Telangana. It occurs in the dry regions of India and Sri Lanka. It is common along the sea coast and the dry zone in Sri Lanka.

<i>Chamaecrista fasciculata</i> Species of plant

Chamaecrista fasciculata, the partridge pea, is a species of legume native to most of the eastern United States. It is an annual which grows to approximately 0.5 meters tall. It has bright yellow flowers from early summer until first frost, with flowers through the entire flowering season if rainfall is sufficient.

<i>Senna italica</i> Species of legume

Senna italica, the Port Royal senna, Italian senna, or Senegal senna is a legume tree in the genus Senna. It is recognized by many other common names based on the regions it grows in. In India, it is used to produce a powder for treating hair-related diseases which is known as “neutral henna”. Whereas, in some parts of the world, this species is cultivated for the leaves which yield the drug senna, known commonly as Senna glycoside, which in turn is the base for a laxative. Senegal senna is easily distinguishable through its many distinctive features. There are 3 subspecies of this plant based on the size of the inflorescence and the length of the petiole. The subspecies are italica, micrantha, and arachoides. In many regions, this plant is cultivated commercially and medicinally.

<i>Chamaecrista rotundifolia</i> Species of legume

Chamaecrista rotundifolia, round-leaf cassia, also known as pasto rastiero, roundleaf sensitive pea, and Wynn cassia, is a short-lived perennial or self-generating annual plant in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the family Fabaceae. It originated in North America, Mesoamerica, the Caribbean, and Tropical South America but is grown in other parts of the world today. It grows in dry soils and areas of low rainfall, as well as in low-fertility and acidic soils with high levels of solubilized aluminum. It can also reduce erosion and runoff over time. These factors make it a potential asset to farmers in the African Subtropics and elsewhere where soil quality is a barrier to farming. It serves as a source of feed for livestock and acts as a green fertilizer, raising soil quality and nutrient content which can improve yields. These combined benefits make round-leaf cassia a potential solution to many problems faced by poor farmers and their communities.

<i>Senna odorata</i> Species of legume

Senna odorata, which is also known as fragrant senna, spreading cassia, sweet-scented cassia or southern cassia, is a species of flowering plant in the legume family that is native to Australia.

<i>Senna acclinis</i> Species of legume

Senna acclinis, commonly known as rainforest cassia or brush senna, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas of eastern Australia. It is a shrub with pinnate leaves and bright golden yellow flowers in groups of two to five and long, narrow seed pods. It is similar to other species of Senna that are environmental weeds.

<i>Senna pendula</i> Species of legume

Senna pendula, also known as Easter Cassia, Christmas Senna, winter Senna, climbing Cassia, golden shower, pendant Senna and valamuerto, is a plant of the Fabaceae family with a shrub habit that is native to South America. It used in various parts of the world as an ornamental plant and is an environmental weed in Australia. The flowers are yellow and the name pendula means 'pendulous' or 'drooping'.

<i>Chamaecrista absus</i> Species of plant in the family Fabaceae

Chamaecrista absus, the pig's senna or tropical sensitive pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, with a worldwide distribution in the tropics and subtropics. An annual herb reaching 60 cm (24 in), it is a common weed of cultivated and waste places, and its seeds are regularly harvested and sold for use in traditional medicine in Africa and Asia.

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