Sesbania greenwayi J.B.Gillett

Flora Zambesiaca Leguminosae subfamily Papillionoideae by G.P. Lewis

Distribution

Also from Somalia and Tanzania.

Ecology

Seasonally flooded areas, swamps, dambos, river banks, roadside ditches and savanna margins; on heavy clay and alluvial soils; 0–1000 m.

Morphology General Habit

Erect slightly woody annual herb, 1–5.5 m tall. Erect slightly woody annual herb, 1–5.5 m tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems glabrous or sparsely pilose when young, rarely with a few obscure prickles. Stems glabrous or sparsely pilose when young, rarely with a few obscure prickles.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 1.2–10 cm long (37.5 cm long on lower parts of plant), the rachis sometimes with a few prickles; petioles 0.15–0.9 cm long (6.5 cm on larger leaves); leaflets in (1)3–32 subopposite pairs, 0.5–1.4(4) cm × 2–5(6.5) mm, oblong to narrowly obovate, rounded to emarginate at the apex, apiculate, entire, glabrous although slightly pubescent when young; stipules 2–7 mm long, lanceolate, long acuminate, erect or spreading, sparsely pilose, usually caducous. Leaves 1.2–10 cm long (37.5 cm long on lower parts of plant), the rachis sometimes with a few prickles; petioles 0.15–0.9 cm long (6.5 cm on larger leaves); leaflets in (1)3–32 subopposite pairs, 0.5–1.4(4) cm × 2–5(6.5) mm, oblong to narrowly obovate, rounded to emarginate at the apex, apiculate, entire, glabrous although slightly pubescent when young; stipules 2–7 mm long, lanceolate, long acuminate, erect or spreading, sparsely pilose, usually caducous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Raceme (1)2–12 cm long, (1)2–13-flowered; peduncle 0.8–2.8(4) cm long, glabrous or sparsely pilose especially near the base, sometimes with small prickles intermixed with the hairs; pedicels (0.2)0.6–1 cm long, glabrous or with an occasional hair, sometimes with very small prickles; bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate, sparsely pilose on the margins, caducous, the bracts 3–4 mm long, the bracteoles 2–3 mm long. Raceme (1)2–12 cm long, (1)2–13-flowered; peduncle 0.8–2.8(4) cm long, glabrous or sparsely pilose especially near the base, sometimes with small prickles intermixed with the hairs; pedicels (0.2)0.6–1 cm long, glabrous or with an occasional hair, sometimes with very small prickles; bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate, sparsely pilose on the margins, caducous, the bracts 3–4 mm long, the bracteoles 2–3 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 4–7 × 4–7 mm, the tube glabrous; teeth 0.7–1.3 mm long, slightly acuminate, shortly woolly on the margins. Calyx 4–7 × 4–7 mm, the tube glabrous; teeth 0.7–1.3 mm long, slightly acuminate, shortly woolly on the margins.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard yellow, speckled with purplish-black on the outer face, 1.4–1.65 × 1.1–1.4 cm, broad, rounded, apically emarginate, the appendages 1–1.5 mm long abruptly rounded and sometimes emarginate at the top; wings 1.4–1.75 cm × 3–5.5 mm, usually with a small, slightly hooked upper basal tooth and with lamellate sculpturing in the upper basal half on outer face; keel 1.3–1.6 cm × 6–7.5 mm, with basal tooth acute, the apex 2 mm long, forming an angle of 40°–70° with the claw. Standard yellow, speckled with purplish-black on the outer face, 1.4–1.65 × 1.1–1.4 cm, broad, rounded, apically emarginate, the appendages 1–1.5 mm long abruptly rounded and sometimes emarginate at the top; wings 1.4–1.75 cm × 3–5.5 mm, usually with a small, slightly hooked upper basal tooth and with lamellate sculpturing in the upper basal half on outer face; keel 1.3–1.6 cm × 6–7.5 mm, with basal tooth acute, the apex 2 mm long, forming an angle of 40°–70° with the claw.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary glabrous, often slightly thickened towards the base of the style, the style pubescent except at the base. Ovary glabrous, often slightly thickened towards the base of the style, the style pubescent except at the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod straw-coloured, mottled dull reddish-brown when mature, (4)7.5–29.5 cm × 2.5–4.5 mm, slightly falcate, torulose, stipitate, shortly beaked, glabrous, (2)5–40-seeded; septa 6–8 mm apart. Pod straw-coloured, mottled dull reddish-brown when mature, (4)7.5–29.5 cm × 2.5–4.5 mm, slightly falcate, torulose, stipitate, shortly beaked, glabrous, (2)5–40-seeded; septa 6–8 mm apart.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds pale brown to olive-greenish-brown to almost black, not mottled, 4–4.5 × 2–2.5 mm, 1–2 mm thick, elliptical; hilum in a small, subcentral circular pit. Seeds pale brown to olive-greenish-brown to almost black, not mottled, 4–4.5 × 2–2.5 mm, 1–2 mm thick, elliptical; hilum in a small, subcentral circular pit.

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

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect slightly woody annual, 1–5 m. tall; stems glabrous or sparsely pilose when young, rarely with a few small prickles.

Morphology Leaves

Stipules lanceolate, erect or rather spreading, sparsely pilose, usually caducous; leaf-rhachis in young plants up to 10 cm., in older plants rarely over 4 cm. long, glabrous or, when young, sparsely pilose near the base, sometimes with a few small prickles; leaflets in 3–28 pairs, up to 12 mm. long and 4 mm. wide, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes 2–13-flowered, glabrous or sparsely pilose when young; rhachis up to 9 cm. long including a peduncle of up to 4 cm.; pedicels up to 16 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx glabrous except for the slightly woolly margin; receptacle 1.5 mm., tube 3–4.5 mm., teeth slightly acuminate, 0.7–1.3 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Blade of standard 11–12 mm. long, 12–14 mm. wide; appendages 1–1.5 mm. wide, abruptly rounded and sometimes emarginate at the top (fig. 49/11b, p. 332); claw 4–5 mm. long; blade of wing 11–12 mm. long, 4 mm. wide, hooked at the base; claw 4 mm.; blade of keel 5–7 mm. long, 3.5 mm. wide at the base, 5.5–7 mm. towards the apex; basal tooth acute, the apex 2 mm. long, forming an angle of 40°–70° with the 8–9 mm. long claw (fig. 49/11a).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filament-sheath 12–13 mm., free parts 3–4 mm., anthers 0.9 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary glabrous, 25–40-ovulate, thickened towards the tip; style pubescent except for the base, 3.5–5.5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod dull reddish, torulose, slightly curved, 8–24 cm. long, including a beak and stipe each of ± 7 mm., ± 3.5 mm. wide across the seeds, 2.5 mm. at the septa, up to 1.5 mm. thick in the centre, 1 mm. at the sutures; septa 6–7 mm. apart.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds chestnut-brown, not mottled, elliptical, 4.5 × 2.3 × 1.2 mm.; hilum 0.5 mm. long.

Habitat

Seasonally flooded land and abandoned rice fields; 0–600 m.; rainfall 1000–1200 mm.

Distribution

T6 T8

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

Morphology General Habit

Slightly woody annual, 1–5 m tall; stem glabrous or almost so, rarely with a few small prickles

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-rhachis up to 4(–13) cm, glabrous or almost so, sometimes with a few small prickles; leaflets 6–56, up to 12 x 4 mm, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes 2–13-flowered; rhachis up to 16 cm long including a peduncle of up to 5 cm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx c. 5–6 mm long; lobes c. 1 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Blade of standard 11–12 x 12–14 mm; claw 4–5 mm long; appendages without free tips, abruptly rounded and somewhat emarginate at the top

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments

Filament-sheath 12–13 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style pubescent, 3.5–5.5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 8–24 x 0.35 cm, torulose, slightly curved, 20–30-seeded.

Distribution

S2, 3; E Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia

Ecology

Altitude c. 50 m.