07 Dec Cassia, Winter senna
Senna pendula var. glabrata
Another similar Senna species is Senna floribunda which is characterised by a more pointed leaf.
Family: Caesalpiniaceae
Origin: South America
Habit: A straggly, multi-stemmed evergreen shrub 1-3m high.
Stems brown and woody with thin cambium layer.
Leaves: Leaves are compound, with 3-8 pairs of opposite leaflets.
There is a raised gland between the lowest pair of leaflets.
Flowers: Bright yellow, to 3cm, produce in large numbers, with protruding stamens. Flowers March/April.
Fruit: Cylindrical green bean-like pods, 10-20cm long, each containing 20-40 seeds. Pods turn brown and desiccate when ripe.
Roots: Woody, branching and relatively shallow. Will re-shoot from any root stock left in the ground.
Dispersal: Seed spread by water, animals (foxes, rats & birds), humans, contaminated soil (earthmoving equipment, car tyres etc) and garden refuse dumping.
Control: Hand pull/dig juvenile plants, cut and paint, scrape and paint and paint or foliar spray adult plants.
