Senna sophera
Content
Description
Erect,, almost glabrous shrub, l-2(-3) m high.
Leaves with 4-10 pairs of leaflets; petiole 3-5 cm long with a thin, subulate or narrowly clavate gland, 5-10 mm above the petiole joint.
Stipules ovate, more or less glabrous, c. 5 mm long, caducous.
Inflorescences axillary, few-flowered corymbs; peduncle 1-2 cm; bracts ovate, 5 mm long; pedicels 1-1.5 cm.
Sepals ovate-rounded, 5 mm long.
Petals yellow, obovate, 10-14 by 6-8 mm, short-clawed.
Stamens: 2 with filaments 5-7 mm long, anthers 5-6 mm long opening by apical pores; 4 shorter with filaments 2 mm and anthers 5 mm, opening the same way; staminodes 3-4, c. 2 mm.
Ovary finely pubescent; style thin, glabrous; stigma slightly dilated, strongly incurved.
Seeds 30-40 ovoid, compressed, 3-4 mm.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present); Philippines (Philippines present), neotropic
Origin neotropic, now found throughout the tropics. It seems not to be equally common in all parts of Malesia; it is evidently not so frequent on the Malay Peninsula and in the Philippines, but this may be due to lack of collections.
Taxonomy
Often confused with Senna occidentalis. The narrower leaves and the narrow, thin, petiolar gland separate the two species.
Citation
Backer & Bakh.f 1964 – In: Fl. Java: 538
K. & S.S. Larsen 1980: p. 94. – In: Fl. Camb., Laos & Vietnam: pl. 16/5- 8
Prain 1897 – In: J. As. Soc. Beng.: 161
de Wit 1956 – In: Webbia: 265
Rudd 1991 – In: Fl. Ceylon: 74.
Irwin & Barneby 1982 – In: Mem. N.Y. Bot. Gard.: 440.
Verdc. 1979 – In: Manual New Guinea Leg., Lae Bot. Bull.: 54
K. & S.S. Larsen 1984: p. 115. – In: Fl. Thailand: f. 28/5-8
Merr. 1910 – In: Philipp. J. Sc., Bot.: 50
Miq. 1855 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 92