Sesbania

Scientific name

Sesbania Scop.

Common names

sesban, coffee weed, rattlebush, swamp pea

Family

Fabaceae

Similar genera

Aeschynomene, Mimosa, Neptunia

Native distribution

tropical to warm regions of the world

Species cultivated

(12 species plus numerous cultivated hybrids and varieties)

Sesbania spp.

S. aculeata (Willd.) Pers. [synonym of S. bispinosa (Jacq.) W.Wight]

S. bispinosa (Jacq.) W.Wight

S. cannabina (Retz.) Pers.

S. exalta (Raf.) Cory [synonym of S. herbacea (Mill.) McVaugh]

S. formosa (F.Muell.) N.T.Burb.

S. grandiflora (L.) Pers.

S. herbacea (Mill.) McVaugh

S. macantha E.Phillips & Hutch.

S. punicea (Cav.) Benth.

S. rostrata Bremek. & Oberm.

S. sesban (L.) Merr.

S. speciosa Taub.

Adventive distribution

tropical to warm regions worldwide

Weed status

Sesbania herbacea, S. punicea, and S. sesban are significant weeds in some countries.

Habit

amphibious, floating or inundated shrubs, or trees

Brief description

Medium to large shrub. Roots often nodulated, associated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, may develop adventitiousadventitious:
(adj) of an organ growing where it is not normally expected, e.g., roots growing from a stem
roots in standing water. Stems erect, sometimes floating, branched, glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
to pubescentpubescent:
(adj) (1) covered with short, soft hairs; (2) bearing hairs
, may vary with age, sometimes angularangular:
(adj) having projecting longitudinal angles; undulate, but sharply angled rather than gently rounded
or striate, unarmed or with sharp prickles. Leaves alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
, compoundcompound:
(adj) with two or more like parts, as in a compound leaf; divided into two or more subsidiary parts or orders, as in a compound inflorescence
(paripinnate); petiolatepetiolate:
(adj) relating to or in the form of a petiole; bearing petioles
; stipules deciduousdeciduous:
(adj) shedding of parts at the end of their growing period, as with leaves; those trees or shrubs that drop their leaves at the end of the season
, linear-lanceolate to obloanceolate, apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
acuteacute:
(adj) tapering to a sharp, pointed apex with more or less straight sides; broader than acuminate; forming an angle of less than 90 degrees
, glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
or pubescentpubescent:
(adj) (1) covered with short, soft hairs; (2) bearing hairs
; stipelsstipels:
(n) a small, stipule-like structure at the base of a leaflet
minute; rachisrachis:
(n) the main axis of, e.g., a compound leaf or an inflorescence
glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
to pubescentpubescent:
(adj) (1) covered with short, soft hairs; (2) bearing hairs
, base sometimes with prickles. Leaflets subsessile or petiolulatepetiolulate:
(adj) having petiolules
; typically oblongoblong:
(adj) two to four times longer than wide, with +/- parallel sides
, or linear-oblong to ellipticelliptic:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
, glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
to sparsely pubescentpubescent:
(adj) (1) covered with short, soft hairs; (2) bearing hairs
, sometimes punctate; apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
rounded and mucronatemucronate:
(adj) tipped with a mucro
; base slightly asymmetric. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
an axillaryaxillary:
(adj) in, of, or produced from an axil
1-20-flowered racemeraceme:
(n) an indeterminate, unbranched inflorescence having pedicelled flowers on a usually elongated axis (may be cymose)
; pedunclepeduncle:
(n) the stalk of a flower cluster or inflorescence
usually pubescentpubescent:
(adj) (1) covered with short, soft hairs; (2) bearing hairs
, or glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
, base sometimes bearing prickles; bracts and bracteoles deciduousdeciduous:
(adj) shedding of parts at the end of their growing period, as with leaves; those trees or shrubs that drop their leaves at the end of the season
. Flowers zygomorphiczygomorphic:
(adj) bilaterally symmetrical; symmetrical along only one plane
; pedicellatepedicellate:
(adj) borne on a pedicel
; white, yellow, pink to red, or mottled. Calyxcalyx:
(n) the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
turbinate-campanulate, tube typically glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
, 5-lobed, lobes triangular to ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, often ciliateciliate:
(adj) with a marginal fringe of stiff hairs
; corollacorolla:
(n) the inner whorl(s) of the perianth; all the petals of a flower
pea-like; upper petalpetal:
(n) one segment of the corolla
large, orbicularorbicular:
(adj) circular in outline
to ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
shallowly notched, clawclaw:
(n) narrowed base of some petals and sepals
often with 2 small appendages; wings oblongoblong:
(adj) two to four times longer than wide, with +/- parallel sides
or oblong-obovate, apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
obtuse, clawclaw:
(n) narrowed base of some petals and sepals
often shortly toothed; keelkeel:
(n) a sharp crease or ridge
boat-shaped, incurved, clawed. Pod linear to cylindricalcylindrical:
(adj) forming a nearly true cylinder
, straight or slightly curved.

Natural habitat

moist to wet places, riparianriparian:
(adj) growing by rivers or streams; of, adjacent to, or living on, the banks of a river, lake, pond, etc.
areas, margins of ponds, rivers, streams, lakes, and canals, swamps, marshes, floodplains and other regularly inundated environments; semi-arid to humid regions with high annual rainfall

Additional comments

A genus consisting of about 55 fast-growing species. Many species are used agriculturally as green manure, fodder, and soil improvement; most notably Sesbania grandiflora, S. herbacea, and S. sesban. The foliage, flowers, and especially immature seeds of some species contain volumes of saponin great enough to be toxic to humans and animals when ingested.