Sesbania sericea is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is a herb or subshrub with yellow flowers and dehiscent fruits. The species is native to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Sesbania sericea was described in 1809, and is listed as of Least Concern by the IUCN.
Taxonomy The species was described by Carl Ludwig Willdenow in 1809, and placed in the genus Coronilla In 1822, Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link moved it to the genus Sesbania.
Distribution Sesbania sericea is native to Africa (Angola, Benin, Burundi, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda) and the Arabian Peninsula (Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen).
It has been introduced to the Bahamas, Belize, north-east Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Hispaniola, India, Jamaica, Java, Laos, the Leeward Islands, Myanmar, Puerto Rico, Réunion, the Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, (including the Venezuelan Antilles), Vietnam, the Windward Islands, and the United States (Florida and Texas).
The species grows at elevations of up to , in old rice fields, moist and temporarily flooded areas, river banks, lagoon sides, and lakes. It is often found near Typha.
Description Sesbania sericea is an annual or perennial herb or subshrub. It grows tall. The stems have a reddish tinge.
The leaves are long, and have five to fifteen pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are oblong to elliptical, papery, long, and wide.
The inflorescence is a raceme that grows up to long. The calyx is broadly bell-shaped, and long. The corolla is yellow. The standard is widely ovate, and up to long. The wings and keel are the same length as the standard.
The fruit is a dehiscent, slightly curved, long, wide legume. The seeds are cylindrical, light brown, and around long.
Uses Sesbania sericea is used for animal food, medicine, and for fuel. It is used to poison fish.
Ecology Sesbania sericea is eaten by Somena scintillans.
Conservation In 2019, the IUCN assessed Sesbania sericea as of Least Concern. The species faces no major threats.
Nomenclature In English, Sesbania sericea is commonly known as "Silky sesban" or "papagayo".
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