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Sesbania sericea
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Family:
FABACEAE/LEGUMINOSAE (Subfam.: Papilionoideae)
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Citation: Sesbania sericea (Willd.) Link, Enum. Hort. Berol. 2:244. 1822.
Coronilla sericea Willd., Enum. Pl. 773. 1809.
Sesbania pubescens DC., Prodr. 2: 265. 1825.
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Malayalam Name(s):
Shempa
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
Silky sesban, Papagayo
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Description:
Annual or biennial shrubs, 1–3 m high, pubescent silky when young; angles of stems often with minute prickles . Leaves pinnate, leaf-rhachis 10–15 cm. long,; leaflets 20–25 pairs, to 20 x 4 mm; stipules ligulate-lanceolate, erect, ± 5 mm long, caducous. Racemes axillary, 2–6-flowered, the rhachis to 5 cm long, softly silky pilose; pedicels sparsely pilose, to 5 mm long. Calyx glabrous except at the base and the margin; tube 2–3 mmlong, teeth triangular, subulate at apex, 0.7 mm long. Standard petal yellow with a few flecks of violet, cordate at base, 8–10 x 6 mm, emarginate; appendages very narrow, claw 2 mm. long; wing petals 5–6 x 3–3.5 mm/claw 2.5 mm; keel petals 3 mm long, incurved, 4–5 mm wide, the basal tooth obscure, claw 4–5 mm long . Stamens diadelphous; filament-sheath 6–8 mm, free parts incurved, 2–3 mm; anthers 0.4 mm long. Ovary glabrous; style glabrous, 2 mm long. Pod straight or slightly curved, not torulose, to 15 cm long;, seeds 15–30, brown.
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Habit:
Shrub
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Flowering & Fruiting:
December-June
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District(s):
Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur
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Medicinal:
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Habitat:
Along roadsides and fallow land
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Distribution:
Native of Arabia and Africa, introduced elsewhere.
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Aquatic:
No
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Epiphyte(s):
No
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Saprophyte:
No
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Stem parasite:
No
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Root parasite:
No
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Flower colour(s):
Yellow
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Weed:
No
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Monocot/Dicot:
Dicotyledonous Plants
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Exotic:
Yes
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Garden:
No
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Edible:
No
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Vegetable:
No
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Endemic to:
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IUCN status:
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Altitude:
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Localities:
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