Senna hebecarpa

Senna hebecarpa

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Tribe: Cassieae
Subtribe: Cassiinae
Genus: Senna
Species: S. hebecarpa
Binomial name
Senna hebecarpa
(Fernald) H.S.Irwin & Barneby [1]
Synonyms

Cassia hebecarpa Fernald
Cassia hebecarpa Fernald var. longipila E.L. Braun
Senna hebecarpa (Fernald) Irwin & Barneby var. longipila (E.L. Braun) C.F. Reed[2]

Senna hebecarpa, with the common names American senna[3] and wild senna, is a species of legume native to eastern North America. [2][1][4] [5]

Distribution

The plant is found from the Great Lakes region and Maine southwards through the Eastern United States, in the Appalachian Mountains and Atlantic Plains, to Georgia. [2][6]

It is found in moist open woodlands, and in disturbed areas.[6]

Description

Senna hebecarpa grows as a sparsely branched perennial shrub. It has axils of compound leaves. [7]

Clusters of light yellow to orange flowers bloom through July and August in North America. [7]

Uses

The Native American Cherokee and Iroquois peoples used this as a traditional medicinal plant. [8]

Senna hebecarpa is cultivated as an ornamental plant, for use as a perennial wildflower and flowering shrub in traditional and wildlife gardens, in natural landscaping projects, and for habitat restoration projects.[7][4][5]

It is a larval host and nectar source for the Cloudless Giant Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) butterfly.[7] It is also of special value to native bumble bees [7] [9]

References

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