Senna occidentalis

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Senna occidentalis
Habit

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Genus: Senna
Species:
S. occidentalis
Binomial name
Senna occidentalis
Synonyms[2]
List
    • Cassia occidentalis L.
    • Ditremexa occidentalis (L.) Britton & Rose
    • Cassia caroliniana Walter
    • Cassia ciliata Raf.
    • Cassia falcata L.)
    • Cassia foetida
      nom. illeg.
    • Cassia glaucescens
      Hoffmanns.
    • Cassia macradenia Collad.
    • Cassia obliquifolia Schrank
    • Cassia occidentalis var. aristata Collad.
    • Cassia occidentalis var. glabra Vogel nom. illeg.
    • Cassia papulosa Hoffmanns.
    • Cassia planisiliqua L.
    • Cassia plumieri DC.
    • Diallobus falcatus (L.) Raf.
    • Ditremexa caroliniana (Walter) Raf.
    • Ditremexa fetida Raf.
    • Psilorhegma planisiliqua (L.) Britton & Rose
    • Senna andhrica P.V.Ramana, J.Swamy & M.Ahmed.
    • Senna occidentalis var. andhrica (P.V.Ramana, J.Swamy & M.Ahmed.) K.W.Jiang
    • Senna orientalis
      Walp.

Senna occidentalis, commonly known as coffee senna, styptic weed,[3] or septicweed,[4] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is native to the southern United States of America, Mexico and South America. It is a shrub with pinnate leaves, with three to seven pairs of broadly elliptic to egg-shaped leaflets, and yellow flowers arranged in groups of two to four, with six fertile stamens in each flower. It is an aggressive, pantropical weed.

Description

Senna occidentalis is a foetid shrub that typically grows to a height of 1–2 m (3 ft 3 in – 6 ft 7 in) and has softly-hairy branches and stems. Its leaves are pinnate, 150–170 mm (5.9–6.7 in) long on a petiole 20–40 mm (0.79–1.57 in) long, with three to seven pairs of broadly elliptic to egg-shaped leaflets 50–70 mm (2.0–2.8 in) long and 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 in) wide, spaced 15–30 mm (0.59–1.18 in) apart. There is a sessile glands near the base of the petiole.[3][5]

The flowers are yellow and arranged on the ends of branchlets and in upper leaf axils in groups of two to four on a peduncle 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) long, each flower on a pedicel 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) long. The petals are up to 10 mm (0.39 in) long and there are six fertile stamens, the anthers varying in length from 4 to 6 mm (0.16 to 0.24 in) long, and four staminodes. Flowering occurs all year, and the fruit is a cylindrical pod 120–180 mm (4.7–7.1 in) long, about 3 mm (0.12 in) wide and slightly curved.[3][5]

Pods

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus who gave it the name Cassia occidentalis in Species Plantarum from specimens collected in Jamaica.[6][7] In 1829, Link transferred the species to the genus Senna as S. occidentalis in his Handbuch zur Erkennung der nutzbarsten und am häufigsten vorkommenden Gewachse.[8][9] The specific epithet (occidentalis) means "western".[10]

Distribution and habitat

Coffee senna is native to the southern United States of America, Mexico and South America,[2] but is an aggressive, pantropical weed. In Australia it is widespread but scattered in the north of Western Australia,[11] the Northern Territory,[12] South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales.[3][5]

Toxicity

The plant is reported to be poisonous to cattle,[13] because it contains a known toxic derivative of anthraquinone called emodin.[14] and the seeds contain chrysarobin (1,8-dihydroxy-3-methyl-9-anthrone) and N-methylmorpholine.[15]

Despite the claims of being poisonous, the leaves of this plant, Dhiguthiyara in the Maldivian language,[16] have been used in the diet of the Maldives for centuries[17] in dishes such as mas huni and also as a medicinal plant.[18]

Almost all parts (leaf, root, seeds) of the plant are used as food and medicine by tribal populations in India. However, consumption of Bana Chakunda seeds has been identified as a possible cause of death of tribal children due to acute Encephalopathy (see Acute HME syndrome).[19][20] Once the plant was identified as the cause, the number of deaths plummeted.[21]

The same thing happened in

dyspnea, neutrophilia and tachycardia from consumption of the plant.[23]

References

  1. ^ Rotton, H. & Klitgård, B. (2021). "Senna occidentalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T130525346A158506718. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Senna occidentalis". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Wiecek, Barbara. "Senna occidentalis". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  4. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Senna occidentalis". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  5. ^ a b c "Senna occidentalis". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Senna occidentalis". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  7. ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1753). Species Plantarum. Vol. 1. Berlin: Junk. p. 377. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Senna occidentalis". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  9. .
  10. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
    .
  11. ^ "Senna occidentalis". Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  12. PMID 7900275
    .
  13. .
  14. .
  15. ^ "Thimaaveshi – Catalogue of Plants – Edition II" (PDF). October 2009.
  16. ^ "List of food items in 'Maldives Coding System'" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-04. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  17. .
  18. ^ "Experts' report on Malkangiri kids death evokes mixed reaction". 19 November 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  19. ^ Nadiya Chand Kanungo (25 November 2016). "Strange: Now M'giri kids' deaths linked to Chakunda Plant rather rich in medicinal properties". The Daily Pioneer. Bhubaneswar. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  20. S2CID 12820053. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 2018-05-02. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  21. .
  22. .

External links