SESBANIA

Sesbania Scopoli, Intr. Hist. Nat. 308. 1777; Gillett, Kew Bull. 7: 91. 1963; Baquar, Pak. J. Bot. 1: 131. 1969; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 10: 313; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 87.

Herbs, shrubs or rarely trees, deciduous. Stipules small, caducous. Leaves paripinnate; petiole and rachis often adaxially grooved; stipels small or absent; leaflets numerous, petiolulate, margin entire. Racemes axillary at apical part of branches; flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous, perigynous; pedicels present; bracts and bracteolate caducous. Calyx broadly campanulate; tube truncate or lobed or toothed, teeth subequal, shorter than the tube, rarely nearly 2-lipped. Corolla yellow or with spots, rarely white, red or dark purple, exserted from calyx, glabrous; vexillum broad with 2 calluses on claw; wings falcate-oblong, auriculate; keel curved, abaxial margin connate, auriculate, claw longer than vexillary claw. Stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1), vexillary stamen free; anthers uniform, dorsifixed. Monocarpellary, ovary stipitate, linear, unilocular, many-ovuled, placentation marginal; style slender and incurved; stigma small, capitate and terminal. Legumes often long, linear, terete, many- seeded (8-50), transversely septate, apex beaked. Seeds terete, hilum rounded.

60 species

Sesbania sesban

Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr., Philip. J. Sci. C.7: 235. 1912; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 10: 314. Sesbania sesban var. sesban, Fl. China @ eFloras.org 10: 314; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 89.

Trees, soft-wooded, short-lived, suffrutescent, 2-4 m tall; young branches pubescent, internodes often 0.5-2.5 cm long. Stipules triangular-lanceolate, 5-7 mm, caducous, pubescent. Leaves up to 18 cm long, paripinnate, rachis 4-13 cm long, 20-35 pairs of leaflets; petiole, petiolules and rachis appressed pubescent, rachis with adaxial groove and small prickles, one each at the base of leaflet; leaflet blade oblong to linear, 1.3-2.5 mm x 3-6 mm, abaxially sparsely pubescent, adaxially glabrous, base obliquely rounded, apex obtuse and apiculate, margin entire, midvein evident on both surfaces. Racemes axillary at apical part of branches, up to 15 cm long, 4-20 flowered, peduncle 8-10 cm long, slender, pubescent or glabrescent; flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous, perigynous; bracts linear-lanceolate, caducous. Pedicel 8-12 mm long, slender, pubescent when young, articulated near flower. Calyx ca. 5 mm long, campanulate, teeth 5, subequal, 1 mm or less, broadly triangular. Corolla papilionaceous, yellow, tinged with or spotted purple; vexillum ca. 13-14 mm long, claw 4-5 mm long with a S-shaped callus ca. 2 mm, apex emarginate, base subcordate; wings 1-1.2 cm long, oblong, with a curved claw ca. 4 mm long; keel 6-8 mm x 5-7 mm, nearly semicircular, with a small triangular auricle and a claw ca. 5 mm long. Stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1), vexillary stamen completely free, staminal tube 8-10 mm long; anthers uniform, ellipsoid. Ovary stipitate, linear, unilocular, many-ovuled, placentation marginal; style ca. 5 mm long, incurved; stigma capitate. Legumes 15-30 cm x 3-4 mm, linear, drooping, subterete, base often with marcescent calyx, apex beaked, seeds 20-40, transverse septa between seeds. Seeds subterete, 3-4 mm x ca. 2 mm, slightly compressed, hilum rounded.

Flowering and Fruiting: August to February
Common Names: Common Sesban, Egyptian Rattle pod, Egyptian River Hemp; Jantar (Punjabi), Jayanti (Hindi)